LUDONG (Photo via Liezle Basa-Inigo)
DAGUPAN CITY – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-2 is implementing a 45-day Ludong or Lobed river mullet (Cestreaus sp.) fishing ban on the Cagayan River from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15.
Regional Director Angel B. Encarnacion said this is in accordance with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Administrative Circular No. 247 to increase the Ludong population and allow it to spawn at the mouth of the Cagayan River.
The circular also aims to ensure an adequate supply of the fish, often called the President’s Fish.
Ludong is highly valued and the most expensive fish in the Philippines, selling for P6,000 to P6,500 per kilo, due to its unique flavor and taste.
BFAR-2 will conduct information dissemination drives, market denial in major markets, monitoring, and patrolling on the Cagayan River to implement the measure.
Arsenio S. Banares, head of the BFAR-2 Fisheries Management Regulatory and Enforcement Division, said that, apart from catching by any means, buying or selling, exporting, possessing, or exporting Ludong during the closed season, the law also prohibits catching pregnant Ludong or sexually mature female and male Ludong, which may result in the payment of fines and imprisonment.