Police to watch out for spoiled fish

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police will set up checkpoints in the municipalities around Taal Lake to keep spoiled fish from the recent fish kill in the lake from reaching the markets, Malacañang said on Thursday.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo will also order the Batangas provincial police to dismantle illegal fish cages that are seen to have contributed to the massive fish kill in the lake.

“The entire Taal is considered a protected area. In 2009 the protected area management board… recommended that 14,000 fish cages be reduced to 6,000. Unfortunately… some disregarded this order and so as a result we have this recent phenomenon of fish kill,” Lacierda said.

The dismantling of the fish cages is based on a study that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted, Lacierda said.