Lumot from Porog: Marine algae lure for Turos, a Bulusan ziganid species

Lumot (a species of Bulusan algae from Porog's seacoast used as paon or fish lure by local parabobo (fishermen skilled in the bobo fishtrap fishing)

Sack full of lumot to be hauled offshore for this afternoon fishing shift is just enough for the day's fishing chore

Texture of the lumot is soft with cottony fibers

Walking along the beach of Dancalan, a fisherman friend of Inggo about to start an afternoon fishing shift stopped by and showed me a kind of marine algae used as 'paon' (lure). Clutching a handful of the greens, he explained that these specific variety of marine algae are the most effective fish lure for the 'turos' (ziganid fish species) that they meticulously arrange inside their bobo fish traps. The two fishermen related that from their own experience and by closely following the practice of several generations of parabobo these are the best fish lure so far.

The parabobo are local fishermen skilled in fish trap fishing using the bobo a locally made fish trap made of bamban a local wildcrafted plant.

"These are the turos favorite meal but we have to gather these 'lumot' (a kind of green algae) growing along the seacoast of Porog the next fishing ground a kilometer away from here," Inggo explained. These lumot are the only kind that these fishes prefer. It seems that these turos and related species can't resist these lumot meal his companion added picking another  handful to clearly make his point.

The  lumot is soft to the touch and looks like green cotton fibers. The green hue is brighter than the usual greens present in their fishing area. It becomes almost neon green when submerged to the sea waters. The brownish neutral color of the bobo fish trap highlights the impressive green hue.

Picking and selecting the kind of algae the fish prefers as  I knew it is a marine biologist field but a talk with these veteran artisanal village fisherfolks made me realized that these local fishermen are in fact marine biologists themselves with their keen observant nature on the local marine life.

The turos fish 'kosido' happens to be my favorite dish. It is a recipe done simply with fresh turos stewed quickly in a boiling pot of tomatoes, pepper and onions.

A tip in making the 'kosido': overdone kosido is no good. It ruins the texture of the fish. Remove the kettle from the fire as soon as the first boil appears if you are using a wood fired stove. Put the fire off at once (if you are using a modern kitchen stove) as soon as it boils.

Enjoy your 'kosido na turos' while it is still hot.

 
Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines