A local fisherfolk group urged the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to regulate fishpen structures instead of imposing fishing ban on Sardinella tawilis following reports that the only freshwater sardine in the world is already being threatened with extinction.“Instead of comprehensively and holistically addressing the shortage of tawilis, (BFAR) Director (Eduardo) Gongona is resorting to a futile solution that will obviously put the livelihood of small fisherfolk at stake,” Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) national chairperson Fernando Hicap said. Based on a study of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), tawilis is now endangered due to overfishing, illegal use of active fishing gears, proliferation of fish cages, and deterioration of water quality.

De Vera-Ruiz, E. (2019, January 28, 2019). BFAR told to regulate fishpens, not ban total harvest of tawilis. Manila Bulletin, p. 7.