Sardinella tawilis, which can only be found in the Philippines, is now an endangered species, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Based on IUCN's research, major factors that threaten the extinction of Tawilis include "overfishing, illegal use of active fishing gears, such as motorized push net and ring net, proliferation of fish cages, and deterioration of water quality." It added that the freshwater sardine's catches, which can only be found in Taal Lake, have steadily declined since at least 1998, when harvest was about 1,672 metric tons.

De Vera-Ruiz, E. (2019, January 25). Tawilis now endangered species. Manila Bulletin, p. 6.