DENR Secretary Lopez Orders Dismantling of Big Fish Pens in Laguna Lake
On July 25, 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his first State of the Nation Address. During his speech, he came to mention the current state of Laguna Lake. President Duterte described how he notices how little small fisherman have compared to large corporations who also own fish pens in the lake. To address this situation, the president said during his SONA that the Laguna Lake will be transformed into a eco-tourism zone, undergoing a redistribution of entitlements with the small time fisherman as priority. In light of this statement, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez has said that she will issue a directive to dismantle large fish pens and revoke the permits of large corporations operating in the lake in the near future. According to former Laguna Lake Development Authority Chairman Edgardo Manda, corporations may own entitlements of up to 1,000 hectares of the lake.
As of June 30, 2016, Laguna Lake has about 357 registered and unregistered fish pen owners. The lake has steadily been a victim of pollution that results from urban and agricultural development.
