aquafarm news • bighead carp culture
L a g u n a d e B a y a n d t h e L L D A
L agu n a de B ay is a p rim ary source of liv e lih o o d o f m a n y fish ers. It is the la rg est fresh w ater lake in the P hilip
pines, w ith a surface area of 90,000 ha.
F or m any years, it h as been a source of liv elih o o d for m any fishers residing in the co a stal m u n icip alities surro und ing the lake. C om m ercial fishpens have also been in stalled in the lake, m ostly raising m ilkfish an d tilapia.
B ig h ead carp, asid e from b eing raised in fish p en s in co m m ercial quantity, w a s on e am ong 13 species caugh t by o p e n f is h in g in 1 9 9 6 -1 9 9 7 . O th e r fishes included k a n d u li, biya, a yungin, tilapia, m ilkfish, karpa, h ipon, dalag, hito, g o u ra m i, m a rtin ik o , and d u lon g.
O f the total catch o f 2,668 m etric tons, bighead carp accounted for 8.6% or 228 m etric tons.
In recent years h ow ever, key issues and co n cern s o f fish ers in th e lake h ave arisen from the tw o m ajor projects that the L agu na Lake D evelopm ent A uthor
ity (L L D A ) o f the P hilippine D epart
m ent of E nviro nm ent an d N atu ral R e
sources (D E N R ) is currently undertak
ing: a pollution charging system and use of the lake as a source of dom estic w ater supply.
L L D A is tasked to lead, prom ote and ac c elerate the d ev elo p m en t and b alan c e d grow th of the lake. It carries ou t the d ev el
opm ent o f the basin w ith due regard for enviro nm ental m anagem ent and control, preservation o f the quality of hum an life and ecological system s, and the prevention o f undue ecological disturbances, deterio
ration, and pollution.
A quaculture and open fishery are seen to conflict w ith each other with respect to lake occupancy. In 1983, aquaculture reached its peak w ith approxim ately one third of the lake occupied by fishpens. A s a result, sm all fishers found them selves alm ost d is
p la c e d from th eir m ain o c c u p a tio n . In 1986, the total fishpen area w as regulated and reduced from 30,000 ha to the present 6,133 ha. H ow ever, the fishers view the lake as an open resource.
In open fishing, the increase in population o f fishers and their activities have resulted in declining fish catch. C ontinued intensive gathering o f snails for the duck industry b y d redging or traw ling operations (about
2 tons per y ear o f snails are gathered) c a u s e s d e s tr u c tio n o f b e n th o s a n d rooted plants. T h is h as resulted in in creased lake turbidity. Proliferation of fishpens had lik ew ise contributed to a reduction in snail production, this has greatly affected the once thriving local duck raising industry.
C u rre n t L L D A records, how ever, show that L agu n a de B ay 's fishpen area had declined. F rom a to tal of 15,052 h a in 1989, today 10 years later, this num ber h as gone d o w n to 6,133 ha.
T he opportunities and potentials o f the fish ing in d u stry h a v e re su lte d in the industry's dom inant use of the lake. As such, the resou rce is view ed b y som e sectors as prim arily for fishery and that the entry o f saline w ater into the lake from M a n ila B ay is very relev an t to fishery production. T h is is seen as ru n ning counter to the lake w ater resources m ultip le-use p o licy that the L L D A is try in g to p ro m o te. B ut th ro u g h th is policy, the L L D A is ratio nalizing the use o f L agu n a de B ay so that "m utu
ally beneficial co-ex isten ce and co o p eration sh all b e the m ark o f the re la
tionship betw een and am ong vario u s lake stakeholders." - ASF
Bighead carp grow ers in Laguna de Bay (CLOCKWISE). M essrs. Puzon, Reyes and Atty. Tocon have high hopes f o r the developin g bighead carp industry in Lagu n a de Bay. They agree th a t b igh ea d carp culture is ea sier than raising milkfish o r tilapia, a dem and f o r the fish is grow ing, and affordable fish, e sp ec ia lly f o r the p o o re r se c to r of society is prov id ed by bighead carp
32 SEA FD EC Asian Aquaculture VoI. XXI No. 5 October 1999
