The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has appealed to operators of fish pens and cages within Laguna de Bay to voluntarily dismantle their illegal structures before the government begins a massive clearing operation this month.
National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force head Arturo Valdez said the DENR is giving operators a chance to save their valuable assets, including pens and cage enclosure materials.
“Once we begin the operation, all assets affected by our dismantling activities will be confiscated in favor of the government,” said Valdez, who is in charge of the demolition of illegal structures together with the Laguna Lake Development Authority.
The clearing operation is in line with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to dismantle big fish pens and cages in Laguna Lake to allow small fishermen to gain access to traditional fishing grounds.
“That’s the presidential instruction after all, and the DENR is dead set on implementing it unless of course a new directive from no less than President Duterte is given,” Valdez said.
Valdez said some operators have already voluntarily dismantled their facilities as early as last month, allowing them to keep their assets, especially the fish stock that they still were able to sell in the market.
The DENR and the LLDA are now mapping out a “phase-by-phase approach” for the clearing operation.
Valdez said all aquaculture facilities in the lake area will be covered by the dismantling operation since the permits given to operators already expired on Dec. 31 and will no longer be renewed by the DENR.
“We have imposed a total moratorium on the renewal of permits. This means the pens and cages can be dismantled anytime,” Valdez said.
“The dismantling of fish pens [and cages] is not simple. 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,” he added.
He said these structures also obstruct the natural flow of water, which is necessary to cleanse the lake of pollutants from households and industries and even from chemical components of fish feeds.
The rehabilitation plan also includes the reconfiguration of sewage systems of the lakeside communities and reforestation of surrounding mountains.