Batangas gov’t dismantles illegal fish cages in Taal Lake
MANILA, Philippines – The provincial government of Batangas have begun dismantling illegal fish cages in the Taal lake, said Batangas vice governor Mark Leviste.
In an interview with Radyo Inquirer, Leviste said they have dismantled 77 illegal fish cages as of Tuesday, and they expect to dismantle 927 more.
He added that some of the fish cages they dismantled were reinforced with steel, which he claimed is more harmful to the lake’s ecosystem.
Leviste added that this will be the last batch of illegal fish cages that they will be dismantling to limit fish cages in the Taal lake to 6,000.
Leviste said that when the provincial government of Batangas began dismantling fish cages during his and Governor Vilma Santos’ first term in office, there were roughly 14,000 fish cages in the Taal lake.
They have reduced this number to 7,000 as of late, and they hope to dismantle 1000 more since the lake can only accommodate 6,000 fish cages.
“We have quite a long way to go,” Leviste said, adding that they hope to finish their campaign within three months, if the weather permits them.
