Robredo orders illegal fish pens in Taal Lake dismantled

MANILA, Philippines—Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo on Friday ordered police officials in Batangas to dismantle all illegal fish pens in fishkill-hit Taal Lake but only after they clear the lake first of dead fish.

Robredo, in a statement, said he ordered Batangas police provincial director, Senior Superintdent Rosauro Acio, to have the owners voluntarily dismantle their illegal fish pens off the towns of Talisay and Laurel when all the dead and rotting fish, mostly “bangus,” have been retrieved from the lake and buried.

“My directive was for the Batangas PNP to ask illegal fish pen owners to voluntarily dismantle their illegal fish cages and until they have disposed of their dead fish,” the statement said.

Robredo later said in text messages that the local government should file charges against fish pen operators found to have violated environmental laws.

“I will ask the PNP to schedule a meeting with the local government units and operators for the deadline, but they will have to clean up the lake first,” he said.

“After a week, if the illegal fish pen owners would still refuse to dismantle their fish cages, the local police, in coordination with the local officials, would lead their dismantling,” Robredo added.

Talisay Mayor Zenaida Mendoza said more than 500 metric tons of bangus (milkfish), and tilapia were found floating in at least 84 fish cages in Barangay Sampaloc.