Illegal fishpens in Taal Lake dismantled

MANILA, Philippines - The Environment department has cleared the Tanauan side of the 24,356-hectare Taal Lake in Batangas of illegal fishpens and cages. Officials from the Environment department and the Batangas provincial government demolished 30 fish cages and four fishpens occupying the Tanauan lake. "The order of the secretary is to stop approving new permits for the fish pens. In essence, these structures are all illegal," Theresa Mundita S. Lim, director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Environment department, said in a phone interview. Tanauan is one of 13 towns and cities surrounding the lake. Taal Lake, together with its volcanoes and islands, was declared a protected area in 1996 to conserve the area’s rich biodiversity, which includes the fish species "tawilis" and "maliputo." Fisherfolk have been blaming fishpens and cages in Taal Lake for dwindling catch over the years. Some 9,223 fishcages are operating within Taal Lake, with Talisay having the most number of fishcages at 3,902, followed by Laurel with 2,451, Agoncillo with 1,572, San Nicolas with 1,181, Mataas na Kahoy with 82, Tanauan with 34, and Lipa City with one. - BusinessWorld