Fish pens in laguna lake
Spare ‘baklad’, small fish cages from demolition – fisherfolk group
Spare ‘baklad’, small fish cages from demolition – fisherfolk group
Manila, Philippines – The fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) told the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DERN) and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to exclude ‘baklad’ or fish traps owned and operated by municipal fishermen from the government’s campaign against enclosed fish pen and fish cages in Laguna de Bay.
The moratorium of fish pen permit in Laguna de Bay starts this year in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to dismantle vast-tract of fish pens in the 90-thousand hectare brackish lake for the utilization of small fishermen who have long been deprived of their communal fishing grounds due to fish pen proliferation.
‘Baklad’ is a kind of fish trap used by small fishers to capture fish and other marine species. Some small fishers in Laguna de Bay have resort to building ‘baklad’ because open fishing is not that suitable due to fish catch depletion caused by gradual deterioration of the lake. Nowadays, the average fish catch in Laguna de Bay is 2-3 kilos per day compared to 10-15 kilos per day before the lake deteriorates.
Laguna de Bay fishers laud fish-pen moratorium, ask to make it permanent
Laguna de Bay fishers laud fish-pen moratorium, ask to make it permanent
Manila, Philippines – The fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) on Saturday lauded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for its planned moratorium on issuance of permits for fish pen operators in Laguna de Bay starting 2017, saying this will open the 90-thousand hectare brackish water to municipal and small-scale fishermen who have long been deprived of their traditional and communal fishing zones.
“This is a good start because absence of wide fish pens will open the lake for the utilization of small fishermen which for many years has been congested due to fish pen proliferation owned by big commercial fishing firms and powerful individuals,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA Chairperson said in a statement.
PAMALAKAYA said the moratorium will also unwind the lake from degradation caused by chemical-based pellet feeds used to culture fish.
“Aside from thousands of factories situated along the lake which irreverently dump chemical wastes into the water, the use of feed-additives and chemicals to culture fish is one of the main factors why Laguna de Bay has reached its dying stage,” Hicap said.
PAMALAKAYA demands compensation from big fishing firms over Laguna de Bay invasion
PAMALAKAYA demands compensation from big fishing firms over Laguna de Bay
invasion
Manila, Philippines – The fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) is asking Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez to demand for compensatory damages from the corporate and individual fish pen operators who occupy large chunk of the 90-thousand hectare Laguna de Bay since 1990s.
PAMALAKAYA welcomed Secretary Lopez’s planned imposition of moratorium on the issuance and renewal of fish pen permits this coming January but said DENR should make those fish pen operators pay for their damages on the environment of the lake and the livelihood of the Laguna Lake fishers who have lost their traditional communal fishing grounds due to fish pen proliferation.
“Laguna de Bay has become congested since fish pens sprout like mushrooms in the brackish lake. This inflicts severe damage to the lake because fish pens use chemical-based substance as feeds to culture fish. Small fishers suffer more because it narrow their traditional fishing grounds and now they huddle over the small fishing waters left,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA Chairperson said in a statement.
LLDA’s campaign against fish pens a sham, mere media projection – Laguna Lakers
LLDA’s campaign against fish pens a sham, mere media projection – Laguna Lakers
Binangonan, Rizal – Local members of the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) in Rizal assail the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and its General Manager Nerius “Neric” Acosta for its failure to dismantle vast-tracts of fish pens in the 90-thousand hectare Laguna de Bay.
President Duterte and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have ordered the immediate demolition of wide-corporate fish pens occupying the communal fishing ground of small-fishermen in Laguna de Bay.
“Media projection at tila ningas-kugon lamang ang ginawa ng LLDA nung inorder ni Pangulong Duterte ang pagbubuwag sa mga fish pens at fish cages. Tanda namin ng may dumating na media at pumormang babaklasin ng mga tauhan ng LLDA ang isang malawak na fish pen dito sa Binangonan, pero pag alis ng taga-media, hindi tinuloy baklasin ang fish pen. Katunayan ay nananatili pa rin ang naglalawakang mga fish pen sa amin,” Dennis Ramos, a fisherman from Binangonan, Rizal told Pamalakaya during the local consultation yesterday.
Fisherfolk to LLDA: What happened to the dismantling of fish pens?
Fisherfolk to LLDA: What happened to the dismantling of fish pens?
Manila, Philippines – Laguna Lake fishermen under the fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Pilipinas) demands the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to release a report on the status of its campaign against corporate-owned fish pens in Laguna de Bay.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and LLDA recently demolished several fish pens in the 90-thousand hectare brackish water by virtue of President Duterte’s order to dismantle vast tracts of fish pens in Laguna de Bay for the utilization of small fishermen.
According to the LLDA, they have ejected at least 3,000 hectares of fish pen last August, majority were owned by private corporations and individuals. But Pamalakaya earlier questioned its sincerity for the LLDA has approved 193 new fish pen permits last May. The fisherfolk group urged the LLDA to cease and desist from granting new fish pen permits and to unconditionally and indiscriminately demolish fish pens that occupies Laguna de Bay.
Laguna Lake fishers want LLDA to cancel all newly-approved fishpen-permits
Laguna Lake fishers want LLDA to cancel all newly-approved fishpen-permits
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Pilipinas) on Wednesday urged the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to cancel all the newly-approved fish pens in Laguna de Bay.
As of May 04, 2016 the LLDA has granted permits to 195 fish pen applicants; 142 of those are corporations, 46 are individuals while 7 are fisherfolk cooperatives. On July, President Duterte ordered the dismantling of large fish pens in Laguna de Bay to give way to the small-fishermen to utilize the waters of Laguna Lake.
“While the LLDA is at the height of dismantling vast fish pens in Laguna de Bay, they should also restrain themselves from issuing permits to large fishing firms and cancel all the existing newly-approved ones,” Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya Chairperson said in a statement.
The fisherfolk group laments how Laguna Lake fishers have been adversely affected since vast-tract of fish pens proliferate in Laguna Lake waters.
“Large fish pens congest Laguna Lake; it narrows the traditional fishing grounds of the small fishermen that used to be communal before. But now, the 90-thousand hectare brackish lake is partitioned by the tiny fraction of corporations and rich individuals. What happens to the small fishers is that they are huddled over the small portion left,” Hicap said
Hicap also added that fisherfolk are being harassed by fishpen-security guards every time the former comes close to the fish pens.
“Now is the time to declare Laguna de Bay as a ‘no fishpen zone’. Laguna Lake fishers have suffered long enough from this corporate occupation of Laguna de Bay,” Hicap said.
“How futile it is that the LLDA is on a roll in removing fish pens one by one but on the other side has been approving new permits on a wholesale basis. It’s a 2 in 1 duty, while LLDA dismantles large fish pens, they should cancel all the newly-approved permits as well and cease from issuing permits especially to big fishing firms,” Hicap ended.
Fisherfolk to Gina Lopez: Go easy on Laguna de Bay
Fisherfolk to Gina Lopez: Go easy on Laguna de Bay
Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya-Pilipinas) on Wednesday warned the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Gina Lopez on the possible implications of transforming the Laguna de Bay into an eco-tourism zone following the reports that fish products from the lake acquired high level of toxic chemicals that are dangerous to human’s health.
The 90-thousand hectares brackish water experienced deterioration courtesy of the past administrations’ ‘development’ projects under the Laguna Lake Basin 2020 which aims to convert the Laguna de Bay into a full commercial, industrial and economic hub on the year 2020.
The fisherfolk group raised questions whether to convert the use of Laguna de Bay from productive fishing to other use instead of addressing the causes why the lake have reached its dying stage.
Pamalakaya-Pilipinas 