3 Cagayan Valley fish species near extinction

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Three more fish species in Cagayan Valley are nearing extinction, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said yesterday.

BFAR regional director Jovita Ayson said three species of eel – Anguilla marmorata, Anguilla pacifica and Anguilla celebenensis – have not been monitored in the region’s rivers, where they used to be abundant.

Ayson said the premature harvest of elvers (eel fry) is the primary cause for the depletion of the eel species.

“The problem is that this premature harvesting is caused by the huge demand of such eel species in Manila and other markets in the metropolis,” she said.

“We have to come up with a management and conservation measures to address the issues and problems experienced at the moment,” she added.

BFAR said the demand for a kilo of elvers, which usually number around 5,000 to 6,000 pieces, has pushed up its price. Middlemen sell elvers for P10,000 to P17,000 per kilo.

Full-grown eels cost around P1,000 per kilo.

Known for its delectable taste and nutritive value, eels, locally known as igat or kiwet in Iluko or siging among Ibanags, are elongated and slimy fish that look like snakes with smooth, scaleless skin which thrive in marine, coastal, brackish and fresh water.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said eel harvest rose from 20 metric tons in 2002 to 160,000 metric tons in 2010.

Ayson said this could lead to the depletion of eel species, like what is happening to ludong. 

Also called Pacific Salmon or President’s Fish because of its high-valued price, ludong, said to be one or the country’s most delectable fish species, is being sold for at least P5,000 per kilo. 

Studies showed that ludong, which used to thrive in the rivers in northern Isabela to the mouth of the Cagayan River, is in danger of becoming extinct if no drastic measures to save it would be implemented.