MANILA, Philippines – A joint team from the Army, Navy and government Wednesday started demolishing fish cages and fish pens on Manila Bay.

Backed up by heavy equipment, the more than 100-man team set out from Bacoor town in Cavite province and began tearing down the illegal structures.

Some of the men dove into the bay to loosen the bamboo poles used for the pens and cages. These were then dismantled by backhoes ferried to the middle of the bay by tugboats.

Environment Secretary Lito Atienza and Cavite Gov. Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi supervised the demolition, the first of a weeklong clearing operation that would cover the coastal areas of Bacoor, Kawit and Cavite City.

“The demolition is not only sound environmental management but sound economics as well since it stimulates growth among Cavite’s fisher folk,” Atienza said in a statement.

“The small fishermen have a better claim to the fish in Manila Bay than the operators of these illegal structures who are mostly moneyed and not even residents of Cavite,” he added.

Used by fishermen to culture fish, the fish pens have obstructed the flow of water, posed navigational hazards and contributed to pollution on the bay.

Atienza earlier said the illegal structures and the failure of water concessionaires to set up wastewater and sewage treatment facilities were obstacles to the bay’s rehabilitation.

The clearing operation was prompted by a class suit filed by a group of citizens against the government over the continued deterioration of Manila Bay.

Manila Bay is bounded by Cavite in the south, Metro Manila in the east, Bulacan and Pampanga provinces in the north and Bataan province in the west and northwest.

A fish pen can cover an area ranging from five to 50 hectares, while a cage takes up a smaller area, from 10 meters to a hectare.

According to Maliksi, 70 percent of the illegal structures belonged to residents of Pampanga, Bulacan and nearby provinces.

“Our local fisher folk are the ones suffering. Their catch is no longer abundant to give them sufficient income,” he said.