Pansipit River - Protection

Protection

Being the sole outflow of a commercially important lake, the Pansipit has a rich history of management and regulation of its aquatic resources. In 1941 fishing in the river and its surrounding waters was banned with a 5-year closed season by the then Commonwealth of the Philippines. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II, the exclusive rights to the river for aquaculture purposes were leased to Santiago Banaag. At the time, a maximum of one fish corral was authorized by the contract, and the structure was to cover only up to two-thirds of the width of the river, leaving the remining third for "free navigation and the migration of fishes". After the war, the lease was rescinded in 1949 and fishery rights reverted to the towns of Taal and Lemery.

Since then, the construction of fish cages has long been a problem for the river's natural ecology. The fish cages, oftentimes spanning the width of the entire river, physically block the natural migratory paths of fish species that move between the lake and the sea. The presence of the wooden structures also impede and disrupt the river's natural currents, slowing down the flow of water and creating stagnant spots in the river. By 2002, a high of 623 fish cages were recorded by a census group. Over the years, numerous measures have been attempted to curb the growing number of illegal fish cages in the river. In 1996, fish cages and other aquaculture elements in the river (and the adjoining lake) were ordered removed through an official executive order. Some of the reasons cited referred to pollution of the river caused by effluent waste from the fish pens. The structures were also said to physically impede the progress of native fish migrating up and down the river. Protected area status was granted to the river with the enactment of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act in 1996. Another attempt to clear the river was pursued in 2002. A record 623 cages were dismantled during that effort. Less than a decade after, in 2007 cages were found to have been reconstructed in significant amounts throughout the length of the river. This culminated in the latest river-clearing effort in mid-2008 by a special task force appointed for the job. A total of 96 illegal fish cages were removed in June 2008, the number of which had already dropped from the previous year's tally of more than 150 cages. As of July 2008, no fish pens remain within the river's waters.