Taal’s tawilis now on endangered list

MANILA, Philippines — The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has placed tawilis on the list of endangered species.

According to the IUCN, Sardinella tawilis is endemic to a single location in the Philippines – Taal Lake, Batangas.

Tawilis, or Sardinella tawilis, which is also known by its common name Bombon sardine, is one of a few marine species trapped within the lake that has evolved into a purely freshwater species. It is also the sole freshwater species of Sardinella.

But within Taal Lake, the IUCN said there are major threats to the survival of tawilis due to “overexploitation, pollution and competition and/or predation with introduced fishes, resulting in continuing declines in habitat quality and number of mature individuals.”

The IUCN also noted that “catches of this species have declined significantly since at least 1998, and it is estimated that harvest has declined by about 49 percent over the past 10 years.”

“Fishing effort using illegal gear which target this species in the lake is increasing, but at this time the rate of increase has not been quantified specifically, so it is inferred that the population has declined by at least 50 percent over the past 10 years,” the group added.

Assessment made by IUCN also said that “this species, and Taal Lake, are considered high priorities for conservation by the Philippine government.”

The IUCN is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.