Government to demolish illegal fish pens at Laguna Lake

The government will begin demolishing fish pens and fish cages illegally put up within the 279.89-hectare Laguna De Bay starting Sept. 1 to address worsening water pollution problems and to give way to a planned ferry system in the lake.

Cirio Santiago, chairman of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), said they are currently seeking a grant from the Spanish government for the master plan and blueprint of the project, which includes setting up ferry stations and developing navigational routes.

The grant was estimated to amount to P5 million to P10 million, Santiago added.

In the meantime, the LLDA and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would clear the obstructions in the lake such as illegal fish pens and fish cages.

The "phase-by-phase" demolition will be done weekly starting Sept. 1, according to LLDA general manager Casimiro Ynares III.

Illegal fish pens are those constructed outside the designated "fish pen belt" and those built without permits from the LLDA.

Illegal fish pens and fish cages are said to be the major cause of overfishing and pollution in the lake.

Ynares said the illegal fish pens cover 164.89 hectares while illegal fish cages use up around 115 hectares. The LLDA’s Zoning and Management Program (ZOMAP) designated 10,000 hectares of the lake for fish pens and 5,000 hectares fish cages.

"We are going to demolish the structures and we are not going to accept any resistance," warned Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes.

The demolition will be done with the help of the National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force (NAECTF).

The government will demolish fish cages in Lake Bunot, San Pablo City on Sept. 1; in Lower Bicutan, Taguig City on Sept. 6-8; in areas considered outside of the "fish pen belt" on Sept. 12 to 15; in Sapang, Binangonan, Rizal on Sept. 20; and in Dalig, Cardona, Rizal on Sept. 28 to 29.

Santiago noted that the demolition would benefit fishermen as it would mean bigger catch and more income if the lake is freed from all kinds of pollution.

Reyes, for his part, said the demolition of illegal fish pens forms part of a plan to revive Laguna de Bay.

Last May, Reyes and Ynares announced the plan to remove all illegal fish pens at the lake to save it from further ecological destruction. The government officials gave owners of the illegal structures three months to dismantle their fish pens and fish cages.

The three-month grace period was intended to allow operators of the illegally constructed fish pens to harvest their produce before demolishing their fish cages.

The three-month period has lapsed.

In April, Reyes ordered a moratorium on the issuance and renewal of permits to operate fish pens and fish cages at the lake, following reports of overfishing as the number of fish pens and cages had exceeded the maximum capacity of the lake.

"The warning against the owners and operators of the illegal fish pens and fish cages at the lake is aimed at protecting the lake from being killed by pollution through overstocking and unsafe fish farming practices," the DENR chief pointed out.

The Federation of Fishpen and Fishcage Operators Association of Laguna de Bay (FFOALdB) earlier raised the alarm over the rapid deterioration of what is regarded as among the world’s living lakes.

According to FFOALdB, the capacity of the Laguna de Bay for aquaculture operations or activities, including fish pens, is only 10,000 hectares. However, the map of the lake has been consistently revised, leading to overcrowding.

Recently, Ynares called on the people of Rizal province to help in the preservation of the lake as he presided over the commissioning of nine "Bantay Dagat" teams from the towns of Angono, Taytay, Cardona, Binangonan, Morong, Baras, Tanay, Pililia and Jala-Jala.

The DENR and the LLDA are strictly enforcing Republic Act 8550, which penalizes the use of illegal fishing methods; and RA 4850, which addresses specific environmental concerns at the lake.