DENR: No letup in Laguna Lake cleanup

MANILA, Philippines - The government will not ease up on clearing operations in Laguna de Bay despite expected revenue losses for the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said yesterday.

Last month, the DENR and the LLDA started dismantling fish pens and cages in the bay on orders of President Duterte.

The removal of the pens and cages was meant to ease the flow of water and prioritize small fisherfolk.

The clearing operation came more than one month after the DENR declared a one-year moratorium on the issuance of permits to fish pen and cage operators.

The moratorium is expected to result in revenue losses amounting to P50 million.

Fish pens occupy almost 13,000 hectares of the bay, whose carrying capacity is only around 9,000 hectares.

Data showed there are over 1,000 legitimate fish pen operators in Laguna de Bay and the number of unregistered operators is estimated at 2,200.

Environment Undersecretary Arturo Valdez said the DENR is helping the LLDA rehabilitate the lake.

The government’s target is to finish the clearing operation by the middle of the year.

The DENR said the only way to save the lake and give access to small fishermen is to dismantle all illegal structures.

The LLDA and DENR are planning to convert the lake into an ecotourism zone this year.