Tibiao, specifically barangay Malabor, is very rich in aquatic resources, according to Flord Nicson Calawag, a graduate of BS Fishery Technology from the University of the Philippines (UP) in the Visayas, now pursuing his Masters in Fisheries at the same school.

“The Tibiao municipal water is rich in aquatic resources. It is part of the Cuyo East passage, which serves as a highway or migratory route of tuna,” he said.

He explained that based on their study at UP, tuna fishes follow a certain gyre or water current from the Philippines to Japan to California to the Pacific.

The tuna, he said, breeds in Samar and Leyte, and most follow the water current leading to General Santos, that’s why most of the biggest tuna are caught in the area.

However, some also are bound to take the short cut route in the Visayan Sea toward the Guimaras Strait then to Cuyo East Pass, which passes through the waters of Tibiao.

“This is one of the best fishing grounds particularly barangay Malabor, which is the tuna capital of Antique,” Calawag said.

He noted that they used to catch tuna fishes as big as those being caught in General Santos City.

“Hopefully the Maritime Group will do a strict implementation [of the Fishery Law] to revive the highway.

We are not really aiming to compete with General Santos and become the ‘Tuna Capital’ but more or less we can preserve the aquatic resources of Tibiao,” he said. 

(PNA)