Valuable ‘President’s fish’ facing extinction in the country 09/26/2010

Valuable ‘President’s fish’ facing extinction in the country

09/26/2010
A species of mullet reputed to be one of the favorite dishes of former President Ferdinand Marcos is facing extinction in the country because it is so valuable, a fisheries official said yesterday.

The high value of the lobed river mullet, popularly known as “President’s fish” has resulted in overfishing, seriously diminishing their numbers, said Jovita Ayson, a regional director of the fisheries bureau.

“It is a threatened species and we have to do something about it before it goes extinct. If we don’t stop the indiscriminate catching, in a short while, it could vanish,” she told AFP.

The fisheries bureau is calling for a five-year ban on the catching of Cestraeus plicatilis, locally known as “ludong” or “banak.”

It is found in only a few countries, and in the Philippines its habitat is limited to a few rivers in the north..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100926nat6.html