The bangus, the tilapia,
and the fish cages of Taal

THE bangus, the Philippines’ national fish, and the tilapia, many Filipino’s fish of choice, are in crisis again. And so are the two fish-growing provinces of Pangasinan and Batangas that have recently been hit by a fish kill so massive, supposedly the worst ever to visit the country in decades. The toll, by the latest official estimates: About a million metric tons of dead and rotting fish, and a P115-million financial drain on the fishing industry.

A state of calamity has been declared in seven towns surrounding Taal Lake in Batangas, while two towns in Pangasinan have seen an 80 percent slump in bangus sales.

Officials have blamed the disaster on the asphyxiation of the fish because of the crowding of commercial fish cages around Taal Lake.

But it is not the first time this fish kill has occurred.

Three years ago, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) ran a three-part investigative report on the problem of unregulated fish cage operations in Taal Lake, which had been declared a protected area as early as 1996. The proliferation of fish pens has been blamed for the seasonal fish kill that has plagued the bangus industry.

The report written by PCIJ Fellow Marlon Alexander S. Luistro in June 2008 also looked into how government and fish cage operators could have saved the lake from dying without sacrificing the livelihood of those who depend on bangus.

The report was named a finalist in the 2008 Developing Asia Journalism Awards (DAJA) of the Asian Development Bank Institute that was held in Tokyo, Japan.

GREED and the lack of political will have led to the overcrowding of fish cages, polluting the country’s third largest lake. Photo courtesy of Baliktas.

In the first part of his report, Luistro describes the deterioration of Taal, the country’s third largest lake, because of the proliferation of illegal fish pens set up by greedy or clueless businessmen. Adding to the problem are laws without teeth, local official without foresight, and implementing agencies with limited manpower.

TAAL Lake’s murky and foul-smelling waters. Photo courtesy of Baliktas.

In the second part of his report, Luistro discusses how local politics and legal loopholes have exacerbated Taal’s woes. Municipal governments of towns bordering Taal Lake earn from permits and licenses issued to fish cage operators. More importantly, many local governments see the aquaculture industry as a major source of jobs, and are thus reluctant to regulate its growth. Some local government units also balk at the idea of dismantling illegal fish pens because of the potential political backlash from their constituents.

Part three of the report describes the concerted efforts of some local and national agencies, local government units, and communities to save the lake and stave off disaster. But that was three years ago, and the bangus, the tilapia, and Taal Lake, are in a massive mess once more.