Transactions National Academy of Science & Technology Philippines Vol. 39 No.

2 (2017)
ISSN 0115-8848 (print)
ISSN 2815-2042 (online) https://doi.org/10.57043/transnastphl.2017.1060

Laguna De Bay: A Case Study for Sustainable Fisheries Development

Rodel D. Lasco*1 and Emil Q. Javier2

1
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Los Baños, Philippines
1
The Oscar M. Lopez Center, Pasig City, Philippines
2
University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines

Keywords:
ABSTRACT Laguna lake,
fish production,
Laguna Lake is the largest source of fish catch from all lake ecology
lakes in the country providing food and livelihood
to millions of people. Recently, there were attempts to Citation:
remove all fish pens and cages from the lake, Lasco RD, Javier EQ.
presumably because of their adverse impact on water 2017. Laguna de
Bay: A case study
quality and pollution. In this paper, we provide an for sustainable
overview of the lake ecology and we identify ways to fisheries
manage the lake sustainably. For some time, it has been development.
clear that the lake’s ecosystem is deteriorating putting at Transactions NAST
risk the food source and livelihoods of millions of PHL 39 (2):
doi.org/10.57043/
people. The LLDA, the local government units, and transnastphl.2017.1
various stakeholders have formulated concrete steps to 060
ensure sustained fish production in the lake.

*Corresponding author: 1rlasco@omlopezcenter.org

2
eqjavier@yahoo.com; eqjavier@up.edu.ph

Plenary paper presented during the 39th Annual Scientific Meeting (July 2017) of the National
Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines.

INTRODUCTION
The 2017 NAST annual scientific conference and economic well-being. And corollary to this,
has for its underlying premise the imperative to no less importantly, we need to address how we
look more closely into how the country’s vast can conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas
fisheries and aquatic resources, can be harnessed and marine resources of which we are abundantly
more fully to support the people’s food security blessed with, for our national purposes, and as
RD Lasco & EQ Javier Transactions NAST PHL 39 No. 2 (2017)
https://doi.org/10.57043/transnastphl.2017.1060

our contribution to the attainment of the United agricultural land, and supports a hydropower plant.
Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. About 14,000 fishers rely on the lake for livelihoods.
14 of Life under Water.
As a result of growing population, industrialization,
The Philippines’ fisheries sector consists of watershed degradation and rapid urbanization, the
three components, namely, marine fisheries, lake’s water quality and ecology have been declining
inland freshwater fisheries, and aquaculture. The over the years (Global Footprint Network 2013).
country’s inland waters (swamplands, lakes, rivers
The lake’s 24 major watersheds (or river sub-
and reservoirs) cover approximately 500,000
basins) have undergone massive changes, with forest
hectares. The biggest fish catch by far come from
cover declining while built up areas are expanding.
lakes, among which Laguna de Bay with 90,000
This has led to the deterioration of water quality in
hectares is the largest.
rivers draining to the lake as well as increased rate
Fish production has been the dominant use of of sedimentation. Numerous lake water quality
Laguna de Bay. But because of its proximity to Metro parameters have already, either exceeded or fallen
Manila and the densely populated communities below the criteria for Class “C” waters indicating the
in Rizal and Laguna, the lake serves other vital worsening condition of the lake. Not surprisingly,
purposes. Its other uses are: temporary storage of the lake’s net primary productivity (NPP) and
floodwaters to minimize inundation of the lower carrying capacity are declining (Jose and Pasicolan
sections of Manila, source of irrigation water, source 2013).
of drinking water, electricity generation, water
transport to and from Talim island and lakeshore
towns and villages, recreation and tourism, and THE FISH RESOURCES OF THE LAKE
sadly, as sink of wastes from households, agriculture Fisheries is one of the most important traditional
and industry. uses of Laguna Lake. Fishery activities in the
These competing uses have led to intrasectoral lake consist of open water capture fisheries and
and intersectoral conflicts among the lake’s aquaculture. The success of the early operation of
stakeholders. The recent order of the President fishpens was due to the abundance of natural food,
of the country to dismantle all the fish pens and the absence of true plankton feeder among the
cages in Laguna de Bay was apparently provoked by indigenous economic species of the Lake, and the
perceptions that fish farming is contributing to the favorable water quality. To address conflicts among
deterioration of the ecological condition of the lake and between stakeholders, a lake zoning map was
as well as to the lack of equity of access to natural developed with designated areas for fishpen belt,
resources between small fisher folk and commercial fish sanctuary, navigational lanes, and open fishing
fish pen operators. areas.
This paper describes our understanding of the Fish production in the lake has declined over the
ecology of Laguna de Bay and its fish resources. years due to the following factors: operation of the
In addition, it discusses how to move forward in hydraulic control structure which prevented the
sustainably managing this our vital water resources inflow of seawater that is vital in the natural primary
with focus on fisheries. productivity of the lake; decline in algal primary
productivity; introduction of exotic fish species;
the use of destructive fishing gears; domestic and
OVERVIEW OF THE LAKE’S ECOLOGY industrial pollution that led to rapid deterioration
The Laguna Lake is the largest inland water body of water quality.
in the country covering about 90,000 hectares Globally, fish farming (aquaculture) is the fastest
(WAVES, 2016). It is the source of water for parts growing food producing sector. According to the
of Metro Manila, irrigates 103,000 hectares of Fisheries code (RA 8550, 1988), 10% of the suitable
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https://doi.org/10.57043/transnastphl.2017.1060

water surface of all lakes and rivers should be More recently, the LLDA has convened a panel of
allotted for aquaculture purposes. Laguna Lake experts, and their recommendations are as follows:
is the chief source of affordable animal protein • Distribute the allowable area within the
supply for Metro Manila and surrounding areas. suitable area in the West Bay, Central Bay
Thus, the goal should be to manage Laguna Lake and East Bay; observe equity with priority
for sustainable fish production and the provision of entitlement to fishermen (60% of 9,200
other ecosystems services. hectares or 5,520 ha shall be allocated
to fishermen and 40% or 3,680 ha shall
be allocated to private corporations and
POLICY ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
individuals)
The key issues that must be addressed in the
• Conduct a Programmatic Environmental
fish resources of Laguna Lake are the declining
Impact Assessment (EIA) of aquaculture
ecological condition and ecosystems services of the
operation in Laguna de Bay;
Lake and equity of access to fish resources.
• Revise the 1999 Laguna de Bay Fishery Zoning
The Philippines Millennium Ecosystems Report
and Management Plan (ZOMAP) reducing
(MA Report) showed that in 2000, of the total
input of 13,800 tons N/yr, 79% came from domestic allowable area for aquaculture from 15,000
to 9,200 hectares.
sources, 16.5% from agricultural activities, 4.5%
from industrial effluent and 0.5% from other • Monitor regularly the heavy metal
sources (Lasco et al. 2005). The other sources which concentration in the water, sediment and
presumably include aquaculture amounted to 690 fish flesh and release the information to all
tons N/yr. In addition, a study by Santiago et al. sectors in a regular basis.
(2005) revealed that only 38.6 tons N/yr came from
• Develop a risk communication program in
aquaculture, about 0.3% of total nitrogen load.
disseminating information on the potential
From these studies it can be concluded that fish
health risks from lake products
culture has very low contribution to water pollution.
• Monitor extensively the compliance of
In terms equity of access to fish resources,
wastewater dischargers to the effluent
large operators/corporations are controlling major
criteria.
portion of fish production. In 2010, 410 registered
pen operators occupied 13% of the total lake area, • Address the increasing eutrophication of the
or an average of 28 hectares per pen while 2,920 lake through regulation of nutrient discharge.
cage operations with an average of 0.60 hectare • Empower the fisherfolks to organize fish
occupy 2% of the lake area (Saguin 2016). Thus, a cooperatives with the commercial fishpen
key issue is how can access by smallholder fishers operators providing technical support.
be increased?
• Explore from financial institutions such as
The MA Report suggested the following course the Development Bank of the Philippines
of action: promoting equitable access to fish (DBP) and Land Bank of the Philippines
resources of the lake; enhancing the effectiveness (LBP) to provide financial assistance to fish
of river rehabilitation councils; implementing cooperatives.
measures to reduce lake siltation; controlling the
extent of pollution with heavy metals and other The governance structure of the Laguna Lake
toxic substances; strengthening the role of local remains a key challenge given the complex
government units in lake resources management; interaction of the LLDA, surrounding local
and facilitating participation of local stakeholders in government units (LGUs), and other stakeholders
lake management (Lasco et al. 2005). (Gomez, 2014). Several watersheds drain into the

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RD Lasco & EQ Javier Transactions NAST PHL 39 No. 2 (2017)
https://doi.org/10.57043/transnastphl.2017.1060

lake and these are under the control of a number Herrera EC, Nadaoka K, Blanco AC, Hernandez EC.
of LGUs belonging to the provinces of Laguna and 2014. Hydrodynamic investigation of a shallow
Rizal. tropical lake environment (Laguna Lake, Philippines)
and associated implications for eutrophic
Given its fragile ecosystem and declining
vulnerability. ASEAN Engineering Journal Part C, 4
productivity, regular scientific monitoring and
(1) (EnvE Special Issue): 48-62.
assessment of the lake’s bio-physical condition
as well as the socio-economic profile of local Jose AS, Pasicolan SA. 2013. Carrying capacity of net
communities is vital for sustainable management primary productivity of Laguna Lake, Philippines.
(eg Herrera et al. 2014; Jose and Pasicolan 2013; Global Advanced Research Journal of Agricultural
Tan et al. 2010). Science 2(11): 289-298.

Lasco RA, Espaldon MVO, Tapia MA (eds). 2005.

CONCLUDING REMARKS Ecosystems and People: The Philippine Millennium
The Laguna Lake plays a critical role in the Ecosystem Assessment (MA) Sub-Global Report:
economic life as well as the ecology of Metro Main Report. Los Banos (Philippines): Environmental
Manila and the provinces of Laguna and Rizal. Forestry Programme, University of the Philippines.
The continued deterioration of the Lake’s ecology 233pp.
is therefore an issue that must be addressed by
concerned government agencies and the local Saguin K. 2016. Blue revolution in a commodity
government units around the lake. A confluence frontier: Ecologies of aquaculture and agrarian
of biophysical and socioeconomic factors provides change in Laguna Lake, Philippines. Journal of
a dizzying context for policy making and program Agrarian Change. 16(4): 571–593. https://doi.
implementation. Its proximity to a mega-urban org/10.1111/joac.12114
region adds another layer of complexity as disparate
stakeholders seek to sway policies in their favor. The Santiago CB, Focken U, Gonzal AC, Laron MA. 2005.
science community, such as the National Academy Aquaculture practices in Laguna de Bay, Philippines.
of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL), In Cuvin-Aralar ML, Punongbayan RS, Santos-Borja
can provide much needed evidence to support well- A, Castillo LV, Manalili EV, Mendoza MM (Eds.),
informed policies. Proceedings of the First National Congress on
Philippine Lakes (pp. 193-204). Southeast Asian
Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in
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