Tags: Aquaculture
By Leo Magno
TALISAY, BATANGAS — For many tourists who go to Taal Lake, March to June comprise a summer season for vacation. For Taal fishermen and fishmongers, however, these months are known as the spawning season for the lake’s most popular resident — the freshwater sardinella, more commonly known as the “tawilis.”
These months are when the lake’s surface temperatures are at their highest, making it ideal for tawilis to respawn. Environmental bodies, however, are concerned that overfishing — specifically the unchecked proliferation of fish cages in Taal Lake — are causing the tawilis population to dwindle.
In an interview with Agribusinessweek, Dr. Lourdes Castillo of the University of the Philippines Los Baños’ Institute of Biology reports that the tawilis breeds throughout the year, with peak spawning from March to June. However, being a sought-after seafood, the tawilis is heavily exploited as demand for the fish at the markets continues to increase. This is exacerbated by the rise of tourism during the summer season in Batangas and Tagaytay, where the fish is considered a delicacy.
At the “pantalan” or fish port in Talisay, Batangas, Lita Agcaoili works as early as 3 a.m., waiting for dozens of fishing boats to deliver their catches of the day. Chief among this assortment of seafood being ferried to the ports are tawilis, which are readily sold as soon as they are delivered, for the market is a mere 20 meters from the port.
Lita shares that prices drop to as low as P50 per kilo during the spawning season, but during the off-season when tawilis are scarce, they fetch anywhere from P70 to P100 per kilo in Talisay, about P10 to P20 cheaper still at the port compared to markets in Tagaytay which are about 20 kilometers away.
Tawilis are caught with the use of illegal fish cages and by using various fishing gear. A survey conducted in 1998-1999 shows that 57 percent of the fishes caught in Taal Lake was tawilis.
According to an independently developed Batangas website, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) says that unused feeds and waste of the fish cages found in Taal Lake contribute to the degradation of the lake’s water quality. It also says that fishes caught in the lake using fish cages have a “mud-like taste.”
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has formulated conservation measures for the sustainable management of tawilis fishery in surrounding municipalities of Taal Lake. These municipalities include Agoncillo, Balete, Laurel, San Nicolas and Talisay. One of the measures is the establishment of a fish sanctuary.
Another report from Agribusinessweek states that the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (Republic Act 8550) stipulates that coastal municipalities and cities are mandated to allocate 15 percent to 20 percent of their resources as marine protected areas for conservation, converting them into parks, reserves and sanctuaries. Other conservation measures include the banning of motorized push nets (suro) and “superlights” or powerful artificial illumination used to attract fish at night.
The enforcement of such regulations and conservation measures, however, remains weak. Moreover, illegal fish pens still litter the coastal towns around Taal Lake, further contributing to the overfishing of the tawilis.
Yet, business is still business, as the sale of tawilis at the Talisay market remains brisk. This, in the end, becomes yet another dilemma for the environment.
Map courtesy of Wikipedia.
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