TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region 2 has reminded the public of the closed fishing season of ludong fish along the Cagayan River in Cagayan Valley.
BFAR said it will strictly prohibit the capture, purchase, sale, preparation and serving of the fish in the whole of October up to Nov. 15 – a period serving as spawning season of ludong.
The agency has declared an 'all-out war' against catching the President's fish or the country’s most expensive fish (Ludong) in the said months.
Ludong or Banak is also known as Lobed River Mullet or Pacific Salmon (scientifically named Cestraeus plicatilis).
The fish is categorized as one of the endangered fish species in the Philippines.
This freshwater mullet can be found in the Cagayan River and Santa-Abra River System of Ilocos Sur and Abra. Due to its rapid extinction, the price of Ludong fish could go to as much as P6000 per kilogram, thus making Ludong as the most expensive fish in the Philippines.
“Layunin ng closed season na bigyang pagkakataon ang mga buntis na ludong na makapangitlog at magparaming muli," the BFAR official said.
“Nasa 4,500 hanggang 6,000 na ang halaga ng isang kilo ng ludong," BFAR added.
A circular being implemented amending the Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 31 of 1951 prohibiting the capture, purchase, sale, preparation and serving of the fish for private and public consumption during the months of October to November as these are on their spawning migration.
The circular includes the increase in penalty of catching spawning Ludong during closed season from P200 or confinement up to six months to P80,000 and/or imprisonment up to eight years correspondingly.