In Antique, a giant lapu-lapu weighing nearly 200kg is caught

Not just a fresh catch but a heavy one.

A fisherman in Antique recently caught a giant lapu-lapu that weighed nearly 200kg or equivalent to 4 sacks of rice. Its head alone weighed 50kg.

In an episode of "Dapat Alam Mo!" fisherman Rex Vigo said it took him nearly 2 hours just to catch the fish.

"Akala ko blue marlin na malaki lang," he said, adding a big blue marline often means spending the whole night wrestling, before catching, and then securing it.

It took five people to transport the giant lapu-lapu from the shore to the palengke. They carried the lapu-lapu like a lechon, inserting a bamboo shoot — that nearly broke because the fish was just too heavy! — through its mouth.

The giant lapu-lapu earned for Rex some P14,000 that day, which he shared with those who helped him handle the giant.

The remainder of the fish they weren't able to sell became dinner for Rex and his family.

"Sobrang taba," the lucky fisherman said. "Matigas yung balat, parang balat ng baboy" he added.

A grouper fish, aka lapu-lapu can grow up to 8 feet and live up to 30 years. Unfortunately, they hardly grow that big or live that long because lapu-lapu is quickly and often fished out of water.

Meanwhile, licensed fish technologist Flord Calawag said Antique is a migratory path for fish. "More than 90% [of fish caught here] are highly migratory fishes," Calawag said, adding there are more than 100 fish sanctuaries in the province.

"That's an indicator that we have rich biodiversity," he said. — LA, GMA News