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ROXAS City: Due to the scarcity of the bivalve “diwal,” Mayor
Vicente B. Bermejo canceled the celebration of Diwal Festival, now
on its third year.
“Diwal” or angel wings, a native delicacy
considered an aphrodisiac, is not as abundant this year as it was in
2005, the year the festival started. Its scarcity raised concern
about the fishing practices of local fishermen and the state of its
seawaters around Roxas City.
City agricultural technologist Mary Ann Baria
said at Barangay Punta Cogon, there are only few diwal left and
these are not fit for harvest. She added her office has decided to
replant it in areas secluded by jackstone barracks.
City agriculturist Salvador Borda, who was
saddened by the low harvest in Barangay Barra, said the Bantay Dagat
Patrol was reactivated to protect the areas from illegal fishing.
Diwal is a source of livelihood for many small
fisherfolk in the coastal barangays such as Punta Cogon, Libas and
Barra.
In 2005, the first festival ran for five days
because diwal was abundant and divers harvested about 10 tons.
Last year, the Regional Development Council
awarded the “Best Public Sector Project” to Roxas City for
reviving diwal.
Diwal came close to extinction due to
environmental factors and destructive methods by fishermen.
A three-year study in Barangay Punta Cogon was
conducted by the Institute of Aquaculture of the University of the
Philippines in the Visayas and the Department of Science and
Technology. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources brought
diwal back to the coastal waters of Roxas City after a decade.
The project involved the transplanting of diwal
in populated areas for rehabilitation.
The big harvest in 2005 was attributed to
decreased trawling activities, reduced use of chemicals in
aquaculture activities and education on the preservation of the
bivalve.
Despite the success of the UP study, Dr.
Liberato Laureta, the marine scientist who conducted the work,
recommended steps to sustain diwal production. These include more
effective: municipal management of the resource to include deciding
when to ban and when to open the harvest of the bivalve; ban on
trawling and dredging in municipal waters; establishment of
fisherfolk cooperatives to protect the diwal; seed dispersal;
refinement of hatchery techniques; stock enhancement; and transplant
of broodstocks.
Laurea stressed that though diwal’s juicy
flavor is the reason for its high demand, this factor also explains
its rapid reduction.
The prospect for a strong diwal industry is
bright, as long as the grounds for its production are sustainable
and rehabilitated, Laureta said.
--Panay News
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