" * ft \ 



ix, d, 4 Coivles: Palaemons of the Philippine Islands 321 



When the talabog is brought to the surface, they still remain 

 attached. On Mindoro there is a modification of this method. 

 Instead of the roots, a large bundle of leaves baited inside with 

 cooked rice is used. 



VALUE OF THE FISHERY 



The commercial value of the palaemon fishery is difficult to 

 estimate. Many Filipinos living along the banks of the rivers 

 and lakes catch only enough for their own use. Fishermen who 

 make a business of catching palaemons usually retail their catch 

 in the locality where they live ; and in the neighborhood of towns 

 or cities, as an example, Manila, the catches are not taken to 

 the markets unless they are large. 



The price varies a little with the abundance of the catch. Very 

 small individuals, those from 1 to 2 centimeters long, are sold by 

 measure, while those from 10 to 15 centimeters long bring about 

 2 or 3 centavos 1 each. Palaemons larger than these are sold 

 for 20, 30, or 40 centavos, while the largest with a body length 

 of from 30 to 35 centimeters bring from 40 to 50 centavos each. 

 I have been told that larger specimens than any in our collec- 

 tion are caught occasionally and that these may bring as much 

 as 80 centavos. 



The palaemon fishery is at its height during the hot and rainy 

 seasons, and it is then that the bulk of the year's catch is made. 

 Unfortunately, it is at this time that the breeding occurs in 

 most of the species. One of the most successful fishermen living 

 on the banks of San Juan River at the town of San Juan del 

 Monte states that he and another fisherman, together with three 

 helpers, catch from 20,000 to 25,000 palaemons in a season and 

 that these net from about 540 to 550 pesos. There are a few 

 other fishermen farther up the river whose business is not so 

 large, but it is safe to say that the total value of the palaemon 

 fishery in this one river easily reaches 2,000 pesos in one season. 



In Pasig River and, especially, where it and its branches have 

 their origin from Laguna de Bay, the palaemon fishery is of 

 much more importance than that in San Juan River. A trip 

 from the barrio of Tagig along one of the smaller branches 

 of Pasig River to Laguna de Bay will convince one of this. 

 One bank of this stream is lined by fishermen's houses, each with 

 its small baclad for catching the kind of palaemon that is sold 

 by measure, and where the stream widens out as it issues from 

 Laguna de Bay one may see several hundred of the large baclads 



1 One centavo equals 0.5 cent United States currency; 100 centavos equal 

 1 peso or 50 cents United States currency. 



