Tawilis now endangered species

Sardinella tawilis, which can only be found in the Philippines, is now an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Based on IUCN’s research, major factors that threaten the extinction of Tawilis include “overfishing, illegal use of active fishing gears, such as motorized push net and ring net, proliferation of fish cages, and deterioration of water quality.”

It added that the freshwater sardine’s catches, which can only be found in Taal Lake, have steadily declined since at least 1998, when harvest was about 1,672 metric tons.

The harvest was estimated to be about 240 metric tons in 2005 and about 107 metric tons in 2010.

It is estimated that harvest has declined by about 49 percent over the past 10 years if the 2010 estimate is applied to 2017.

Researchers have likewise noted the introduction of several non-native species for commercial purposes that contributed to the decline of Sardinella tawilis stocks.

A survey conducted from 1996 to 1999 recorded 27 fish species from 32 families in the lake, which is much lower than records from the 1920s that recorded 101 species from 32 families.

Given this, about 87 percent of fish species had disappeared by 1996, which coincided with the same period that aquaculture began, researchers said.

IUCN said the declining population of Tawilis should be considered a “high” priority for conservation by the Philippine government.