MANILA - A Philippine food processing firm has announced that it would stop the use of endangered fish species Tawilis in its production, vowing to support preservation efforts.
In a statement posted on Twitter, San Marino, the canned fish line of food processing firm CDO Foodsphere Inc, said it would immediately pull out its Premium Tawilis product from store shelves.
"San Marino is committed to doing its share in protecting and preserving our marine wildlife and natural resources," read San Marino's statement.
"As a testament to our commitment, we have already stopped the production of San Marino Premium Tawilis and will begin withdrawing our stocks from all stores as soon as possible," it said.
San Marino Premium Tawilis, which was sold in canned and bottled packs, could no longer be found on the product list on the official website of CDO Foodsphere, which also makes processed meat, sweet preserves, and dairy products.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global body that tracks the status of the natural world, recently placed Sardinella Tawilis as an endangered species on its red list.
In its earlier published assessment, IUCN described Tawilis as freshwater fish "endemic to a single lake location in the Philippines," the Taal Lake in Batangas.
It cited threats to fish diversity in the lake, including "overexploitation, pollution and competition and/or predation with introduced fishes, resulting in continuing declines in habitat quality and number of mature individuals."
In its statement, the San Marino brand vowed to help in efforts to save the Tawilis.
"We will work closely with government regulatory bodies and Taal Lake authorities to help preserve our precious Sardinella Tawilis," it said.
