THE harvesting of tawilis, a freshwater sardine, should be reduced if possible by means of a closed fishing season and eliminating illegal fishing methods, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Tawilis or sardinella tawilis, if not protected, might be considered extinct, BFAR’s National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) Scientist II Mudjekeewis D. Santos told reporters on the sidelines of the 1st National Galunggong Summit held in Pasay City on Thursday.
The International Union for Conversation of Nature (IUCN) made the announcement that tawilis, native to Taal Lake in Batangas, is facing extinction.
“If IUNC is put into framework, under the law, it is not automatically illegal to catch the species but there is already an indication of it being endangered,” Mr. Santos said.
“I see this as a wake up call. We have to do more,” Mr. Santos said.
Mr. Santos said that a closed fishing season has been in force in Zamboanga since December, running until March, to allow fish populations there to regenerate.
He noted that there has been a decline of 50% in tawilis production in the last 10 years.
Meanwhile, BFAR National Director Eduardo B. Gongona is calling for the protection of municipal waters to help increase the production of galunggong, or round scad.
“Galunggong is now very important. It is the barometer of the prices of fish in the market,” Mr. Gongona told reporters.
“92% of galunggong production comes from Palawan. There is more money in galunggong than in tuna… If they don’t take care of municipal waters, they will see the fish become more expensive,” according to Mr. Gongona.
Mr. Gongona said that it is necessary to prioritize fish sufficiency, and other sectors will follow. Fisheries output posted a decline of 1.13% in 2018, a slight improvement from 2017’s 1.73% decrease. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
