DENR makes last appeal to self-dismantle Laguna Lake fish pens

With the impending dismantling of all fishpens and fish cages in Laguna Lake, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) made its "last call" to fish pen operators to self-demolish before the department starts a massive operation to clear the lake of illegal structures this month.

In a statement on Saturday, Environment Undersecretary and National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force (NAECTF) head Arturo Valdez said the DENR is still giving the operators the chance to save their valuable assets like pen 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 dismantling operation, along with the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and concerned local government units.

The impending dismantling operation in the Laguna Lake is in line President Rodrigo Duterte's directive to prioritize small fishermen.

"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, adding that appeals to stop the clearing operation be directed to Duterte.

The Environment official noted that some operators already dismantled their facilities as early as last month, thus they were still able to sell their fish stock in the market.

Valdez said the DENR and the LLDA are now mapping out a "phase-by-phase approach" for the clearing operation.

He added that all aquaculture facilities in the lake area will be covered by the dismantling operation since the permits given to operators already expired last December 31 and will no longer be renewed by the DENR.

"We have imposed a total moratorium on the renewal of permits starting January 1, 2017. This means the pens and cages can be dismantled anytime," Valdez said.

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.

Another key component of the Laguna Lake rehabilitation plan is the stopping of pollution discharges from industrial and domestic sources, including sedimentation and siltation from degraded watershed surrounding the lake.

The rehabilitation plan also includes reconfiguration of sewage systems of the lakeside communities and reforestation of surrounding mountains. — VVP, GMA News