Markers laid out to identify danger zone

DEMARCATION The Philippine Coast Guard Task Force Taal uses these buoys to mark the 7-kilometer radius declared as danger zone across Taal Lake. —PHOTO FROM PCG FACEBOOK

TALISAY, BATANGAS—Coast Guard personnel laid out about 100 floating buoys across Taal Lake on Wednesday to mark the 7-kilometer circumference identified as a danger zone around the restive Taal Volcano.Alert level 3 remained even as the volcano visibly showed less smoke plumes and ground activities, two weeks after its phreatic eruption on Jan. 12.

Fish cages’ pullout

Artemio Abu, Philippine Coast Guard commander for Southern Luzon, said several floating fish cages, especially in some areas in Agoncillo and Laurel towns, fell inside the restricted area that authorities measured from the volcano’s main crater and down the surrounding lake.Abu said they would advise fish cage owners to pull the cages, commonly used to grow tilapia, out of the danger zone or farther from the volcano.

“But of course, it’s [people’s source of] livelihood and we understand the cages still contained fish stocks. There has to be some humanitarian consideration,” he said.

Residents in the affected towns on the mainland were allowed to return to their homes after the alert level was downgraded on Sunday.

Fishing, a common livelihood source around the lake, resumed as long as people kept off the hazard area now marked with the bright orange buoys.

The Volcano Island remained off-limits. Abu said Coast Guard patrol boats would continue to guard against residents, who kept on entering the Volcano Island either to rescue surviving farm animals or check their fish cages. —MARICAR CINCO