Lobed river mullet
Encyclopedia
The Ludong or Lobed river mullet is a freshwater
mullet that is endemic to Cagayan River
and tributaries extending through the watersheds of Cagayan Valley and the Santa-Abra River Systems of Ilocos Sur
and Abra
in the Philippines
. According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), this fish is habituating in the deep pools of Addalem River in Aglipay, Quirino
, and rapids of Didimpit in Lacab, Jones, Isabela
.
A mature fish weighs from 0.25 kg to 2 kg and costs P4,000- P5,000 a kilo, making it the most expensive fish in the country. It commands a very high price in the market because it is seasonal and difficult to catch.
This fish is known for its unique taste and peculiar aroma when cooked. In fact, its unique taste makes it one of the most sought-after ingredients in making delicious dishes.
It was also observed that over the years, the sizes of ludong being caught are getting smaller. According to a BFAR report, the catch of ludong in 1998 weighed 2.4 kg and has gone to 0.25 kg in 2001. Moreover, no ludong was reportedly caught in 2002 and 2003 proving its declining population.
Owing to its scarcity and high value in the market, the desire to catch ludong increases causing overfishing and endangerment. This concern resulted in the issuance of Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 31 aimed at conserving the banak or ludong in Northern Luzon.
Specifically, FAO 31 prohibits the capture, purchase, sale, preparation, and serving of ludong for private or public consumption during its seasonal migration (October to January). It also prohibits the use of tabukol (a cast net of large meshes), tabak (small drag seine for river fishing) or pateng (cylindrical fish pot for catching mullet) in the Cagayan River and its tributaries and in the Santa-Abra River System during these months.
In 2006, BFAR launched Oplan Sagip Ludong, a wide fish-hunt in Aparri for 60 pieces of live ludong. The hunt was conducted during the first half of October because it provides the best opportunity to catch live ludong, which seasonally appears two to six times only in a year from October to November.
At the moment, the only live ludong in captivity is at BFAR research center in Bonuan Binloc in Dagupan City caught five years ago in the Cagayan River in Aparri town. It weighs 1.5 kilograms. This provides the researchers to study further this species and its breeding habits. The fish hunt resulted in the identification of at least 30 more "probable species" of ludong which BFAR researchers are now studying. Moreover, the live ludong in captivity was recently joined in by 40 fingerlings of fish which are being cultured at BFAR, undergoing further morphological identification. The live ludong was donated in 2001 and the fingerlings in January 2006 by Dr. Lino Edralim Lim for further studies on their physical traits and DNA fingerprinting. The results of these studies will form the basis for other captured fish which might be just ludong look-alikes.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
mullet that is endemic to Cagayan River
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.-Topography:...
and tributaries extending through the watersheds of Cagayan Valley and the Santa-Abra River Systems of Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur
Ilocos Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Vigan City, located on the mouth of the Mestizo River is the provincial capital...
and Abra
Abra
- Places :* Abra, Burkina Faso* Abra, Côte d'Ivoire* Abra , a province of the Philippines* Abra River, in the Philippines* El Abra, an archaeological excavation site in Colombia* Abra, Lebanon, a municipality of Lebanon- Other uses :...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), this fish is habituating in the deep pools of Addalem River in Aglipay, Quirino
Aglipay, Quirino
Aglipay is a 4th class municipality in the province of Quirino, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 25,069 people in 4,450 households.-Barangays:Aglipay is politically subdivided into 25 barangays.-External links:***...
, and rapids of Didimpit in Lacab, Jones, Isabela
Jones, Isabela
Jones is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 41,237 people in 8,171 households.-History:...
.
Description
Ludong is herbivorous, eating only the filamentous algae that live on rocks and boulders in and near river rapids.A mature fish weighs from 0.25 kg to 2 kg and costs P4,000- P5,000 a kilo, making it the most expensive fish in the country. It commands a very high price in the market because it is seasonal and difficult to catch.
This fish is known for its unique taste and peculiar aroma when cooked. In fact, its unique taste makes it one of the most sought-after ingredients in making delicious dishes.
Reproduction
This elusive fish is catadromous in nature; it migrates to the ocean to breed. It swims to salt water to spawn from October to December and returns to upstream ponds after. It undergoes upstream migration during December, January, and February, and this coincides with the “ipon-run phenomenon’ wherein different species of fish fry also undergo upstream migration. After the ludong had undergone downstream migration, it can be caught in Cagayan River and tributaries.Conservation
Ludong is close to being an endangered species, considering its threatened state in the Northern Luzon waters. In fact, information gathered from fish vendors in Cagayan showed that the volume of ludong catch has been tremendously decreasing annually.It was also observed that over the years, the sizes of ludong being caught are getting smaller. According to a BFAR report, the catch of ludong in 1998 weighed 2.4 kg and has gone to 0.25 kg in 2001. Moreover, no ludong was reportedly caught in 2002 and 2003 proving its declining population.
Owing to its scarcity and high value in the market, the desire to catch ludong increases causing overfishing and endangerment. This concern resulted in the issuance of Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 31 aimed at conserving the banak or ludong in Northern Luzon.
Specifically, FAO 31 prohibits the capture, purchase, sale, preparation, and serving of ludong for private or public consumption during its seasonal migration (October to January). It also prohibits the use of tabukol (a cast net of large meshes), tabak (small drag seine for river fishing) or pateng (cylindrical fish pot for catching mullet) in the Cagayan River and its tributaries and in the Santa-Abra River System during these months.
In 2006, BFAR launched Oplan Sagip Ludong, a wide fish-hunt in Aparri for 60 pieces of live ludong. The hunt was conducted during the first half of October because it provides the best opportunity to catch live ludong, which seasonally appears two to six times only in a year from October to November.
At the moment, the only live ludong in captivity is at BFAR research center in Bonuan Binloc in Dagupan City caught five years ago in the Cagayan River in Aparri town. It weighs 1.5 kilograms. This provides the researchers to study further this species and its breeding habits. The fish hunt resulted in the identification of at least 30 more "probable species" of ludong which BFAR researchers are now studying. Moreover, the live ludong in captivity was recently joined in by 40 fingerlings of fish which are being cultured at BFAR, undergoing further morphological identification. The live ludong was donated in 2001 and the fingerlings in January 2006 by Dr. Lino Edralim Lim for further studies on their physical traits and DNA fingerprinting. The results of these studies will form the basis for other captured fish which might be just ludong look-alikes.
External links
- http://www.bar.gov.ph/bardigest/2008/julsep08_featstory.asp
- http://www.gmanews.tv/story/180608/cagayan-rivers-delectable-ludong-fish-on-the-brink-of-extinction
- http://archives.sunstar.com.ph/davao/ludong-rps-most-expensive-fish
- http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=494243&publicationSubCategoryId=77
- http://blog.agriculture.ph/ludong-rps-most-expensive-fish.html
- http://www.agribusinessweek.com/is-it-the-end-for-ludong/
- http://www.bar.gov.ph/barchronicle/2007/may_1-31_news7.asp