Massive catch means a bigger payday for Surigao fishermen

Fishermen in the coastal town of Malimono, Surigao del Norte were recently surprised by a bounty of the sea—thousands of fish, including tuna and salmon, thrashing around in the nets they had cast near the shore.

A video that aired on "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" showed the fishermen's boats circling the nets, and the fishermen working hard to haul the big fish out of the water.

The fishermen's haul that day amounted to around 3,000 kilos of fish, many of which were brought to the market.

One of the men, Carmelo, said that in two decades of fishing he had never seen this many fish in one spot, adding that an ordinary catch would usually earn him P1,000. This unusually bountiful one, however, brought him P5,000.

He said that he used some of the money to buy some rice for his family, then put away the rest as savings for his children.

The video was taken back in April, but the fishermen say that their haul in recent days has been large as well. One of them, Junnie, even said that his boat ended up with a hole in it due to having to deal with the amount of fish.

Malimono, a coastal town, faces Butuan Bay and the island of Camiguin. According to a barangay official, the presence of a marine sanctuary nearby may account for the plentiful fish in the area.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) also pointed out that the fish head to the shore to lay their eggs, which may have been the reason for their numbers near the shoreline.

Malimono is also enjoying a haul of giant squid, with some weighing as heavy as ten kilos, and going for P2,000 each. — BM, GMA News