Endangered shellfish reappears

‘Diwal’ is back.

And to people in Western Visayas, this development is very good news.

A few years back, this shellfish which, to many Visayans is the "most delicious bivalve," appeared headed for extinction owing to overexploitation.

Now comes Dr. Liberator Laurena of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) announcing: "Good news, the ‘diwal’ has started to reappear."

Over the past few years, multi-awarded Dr. Laurena, a faculty member of UPV’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (CFOS), has been studying ‘diwal,’ whose common name is angel wing because its shell, when open, resembles the wings of an angel.

In earlier talks, the UP Visayas scientists said indiscriminate harvesting of ‘diwal’ resulted in the depletion of its natural beds.

Two years ago, the shellfish could hardly be seen in the market.

Thus, UPV headed by Chancellor Ida Siason addressed the problem of declining number of this prized bivalve.

One of the studies conducted by Dr. Laurena and his team was the transplantation of the shellfish at Punta, Cogon, Roxas City (Capiz), considered the "seafood capital of the Philippines."

In the project, young ‘diwal’ shellfishes were transplanted in an environment similar to the requirements or conditions as its natural habitat.

"Transplantation could have probably paved the way for the angel wing to flourish again," UP Visayas said. – Rudy A. Fernandez