Aboard a motorized banca, Victor Viray of barangay Lucap caught more than 16 kilos of assorted fish in just two hours.

By noon time, his team already has 28 kilos to boast and they decided to call it a day.

Viray was among the more than hundred anglers who went fishing as early as 6 o’clock in the morning and walk into Lucap wharf by 2 p.m. for the official weigh-in.

He eventually won the first prize in total catch for the first two hours of fishing. While, his team took the first place in team-motorized category.

“We are a bit lucky," said Viray. "I think we have found the best spot to fish that’s why he had the most catch of the day.”

City Agriculture Office OIC Arceli Talania said fishermen from villages of Lucap, Telbang, Victoria, and Pandan dominated this year’s sports fishing contest.

She added that all the fishes were caught about two kilometers off the 1, 844 hectare marine protected area as part of the rules of the said competition.

Among the popular species caught by the participants include the grouper (lapu-lapu), parrot fish (molmol), clown trigger fish (papakol), sword fish (layalay), jack fish and caranx (talakitok).

There were also fusilier (dalagang bukid), rabbit fish (malaga), eel (igat), sardine (tamban), threadfin bream (bisugo), emperor fish (lugso), goat fish (balaki), trumphet fish (tortorumpet) and therapon (baraoangan).

For the heaviest catch, the winners were Conrado Donato and Carlito Celino, for team and individual categories, respectively.

Some participants used non-motorized fishing boats, being the other category.

Danilo Palecpec, also of Brgy. Lucap, bagged the first prize for the total catch-individual category with 6 kgs. of assorted fish.

There were other notable catches among the participants.

Genaro Marquez of Brgy. Pandan had the longest catch, 70 cm eel (team category) and Ernesto Malanum of Brgy. Telbang (individual category), 71 cm sword fish.

City administrator Wilmer Panabang, who also took part in the said competition and caught more than 7 kgs. of assorted fish, said most of the participants were very eager to win.

“They’re very happy and excited because the whole competition is really fun and very challenging,” he noted.

“That even if they failed to win the prize money, they still have a consolation-taking home everything that they have caught from the sea.”

Huge cash prizes were awarded to the winning teams with the champions in team and individual categories receiving P 12, 000 and P 3,000 each, respectively.

No less than Mayor Hernani A. Braganza, who conceived the said initiative, led the awarding of cash prizes to the winners.

He was joined by city councilors Joselito Fontelera, Ma. Angela Braganza, Earl James Aquino, Carolyn Dizon, Orlando Go, Cirilo Radoc, Oscar Boling, and Felimon Bacala Jr., and some department heads namely Reynaldo Castro, Arceli Talania, Genaro Bacala and CRM consultant Manuel Credo.

Braganza, in his message, said the Ban-oitan competition aims to promote hook and line fishing in the city which is the legal, safe and environment-friendly means of fishing.

“We stopped illegal fishing activities in the Hundred Islands to prove that we can still achieve equality and social justice in our society,” said the mayor.

“We defend our coastal waters from big time illegal fishers to safeguard the interest of our marginalized fishermen,” he added.

The visionary mayor firmly believed that his citymates will be greatest winners on his administration’s decision and commitment to protect the city’s marine ecosystem.

He said that the conservation and rehabilitation of the city’s underwater wealth will not just ensure a healthier environment, but also a better future for the next generations of Alaminians.

He added that with all the laudable programs in place, “all we need to do is to work hard and persevere for us to win our battle against poverty and hunger.”

“Let’s continue to unite and embrace reforms that the city government has instituted to improve our standard of living and achieve the kind of development our city truly deserves," he finally quipped.

Despite of the inclement weather, many fishermen from the city’s 10 coastal communities showed up and joined the first and the biggest game fishing contest in the city.

The prized catch of the anglers is a concrete proof that there’s now enough supply and it’s easy to catch fish at the identified fishing areas.

Thanks largely to the city government’s initiative to stop illegal fishing activities in the area since 2005, different marine species continue to grow and multiply very fast at the city’s marine sanctuary.

And this could also mean the city’s growing populace could depend on the bounty of the sea in the years to come as the local fishermen renewed their commitment to help the city government conserve, protect and rehabilitated the city’s protein bowl. (CIO)