BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines – The Bureau and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has banned for three months the catching of ludong, a pricey fish species whose population has dwindled in rivers in Abra and Cagayan Valley.
The ban, according to BFAR, took effect last month and would last until January next year, when the fish species would migrate from its freshwater habitats to the mouth of the Cagayan River in Aparri town to spawn.
It is this annual journey of the ludong – also known as President’s fish or Pacific salmon – that fisherfolk take advantage of to catch the fish even before they could reach their destination, preventing them from laying their eggs and reproducing, said BFAR regional director Jovita Ayson.
The ludong, which BFAR said has been on the brink of extinction, only thrives in the headwaters of Cagayan Valley as well as in Abra and Ilocos.
A catadromous fish, which means it thrives in freshwater but migrates to seawater to spawn, ludong is being sold at least P5,000 per kilogram, making it the country’s most expensive fish species.
The ludong is listed as one of the world’s most endangered freshwater fish species.
The three-month ban to catch ludong is covered by BFAR Fisheries Order No. 31, which prohibits “any person, association or corporation to catch… purchase, sell… transport, export or have in possession of the fish.â€
“This is to give assurance that the ludong will be given the chance to lay their eggs and reproduce,†Ayson said.
Violators of the ban face a jail term of six months to eight years and a fine of P6,000 to P80,000.
BFAR, which launched “Sagip Ludong†two years ago, called on the public, especially residents in the region’s headwaters, “to cease from catching ludong and for consumers to suppress their appetite in order to provide the much needed respite for the fish.â€
Of the three known ludong species, the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute said only Cestraeus oxyrhynchus and Cestraeus goldiei have been found to be still in existence.