The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued a “last call” for operators of fish pens and cages in Laguna Lake to conduct self-imposed demolitions before the agency embarks on operations this month to clear the lake of illegal structures.
“Once we begin the operation, all assets affected by our dismantling activities will be confiscated in favor of the government,” said DENR Undersecretary and National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force (NAECTF) head Arturo Valdez, in a statement on Saturday.
“There are posts there [and nets], that’s why it’s better for the owners to dismantle it themselves. You take care of your materials, those are expensive after all,” Valdez said.
Valdez said all aquaculture facilities in the lake area will be covered by the dismantling operations, since permits given to operators already expired last December 31, and the DENR has implemented a moratorium on permit renewals or permit applications this year.
Last month, DENR undersecretary for legal services Maria Paz “Ipat” Luna” said the moratorium was suggested by experts to provide a “breather” for the lake and to allow “open-fishing” in the meantime.
Valdez said the DENR and the LLDA are now mapping out a “phase-by-phase approach” for the clearing operations.
The moratorium and clearing operations are in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive, during his State of the Nation Address, to dismantle corporate and private fishpens and fishcages to make way for small-time fisherfolk.
DENR Secretary Gina Lopez had also earlier described the lake as being “overfished.” She likewise noted that 400,000 houses offload sewage into the lake. To address the problem, the DENR would need to coordinate with local government units for sewage treatment plants, Lopez had said.
“Our passion and desire is to convert Laguna lake into an ecotourism zone,” Lopez had said.
Valdez noted the fish obstruct the natural flow of water and efforts to cleanse the lake of pollutants.
According to data from the LLDA, Laguna Lake’s current carrying capacity allows up to only 9,000 hectares for aquaculture, but fish pens and cages are occupying 12,375.18 hectares of the surface water, a total of 3,375 hectares of excess area for demolition.
Unregistered fish pen and cage operators in the lake number 2,261, occupying 2,856 hectares. Meanwhile, there are 1,018 registered operators covering a total of 9,519 hectares, the LLDA said.
In all, a total of 3,246 structures can be found in the lake area, consisting of 358 fishpens and 2,890 fishcages.
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