P26M sought for ‘ludong’ conservation in Cagayan

TUGUEGARAO CITY — The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is seeking P26 million to fund a conservation program for “ludong,” a rare fish that thrives in the headwaters of the Cagayan River and river systems in the Ilocos region.

Known as the country’s most expensive fish, ludong is being sold for P6,000 a kilogram.

The program will require a resource and socioeconomic profile of the ludong environment and an assessment of the fishing technologies used by fishing communities, according to Dr. Evelyn Ame, BFAR national focal person on ludong.

This will enable the BFAR to improve livelihood opportunities for fishermen in areas where ludong thrives. —Villamor Visaya Jr.