As many problems associated with the conservation and protection of lakes are perceived to be caused by the simple failure to enforce laws, this paper is an analysis of the myriad reasons behind the lack of law enforcement. These include high enforcement and transaction costs, overly broad scope of policies, conflicting laws or varying interpretations of laws, and lack of information or understanding of existing laws, among other reasons. It suggests that at least for some laws, these are not the main reasons for lack of implementation. Instead, both political leaders and stakeholders are complicit in such failure to enforce and therefore make what Tim Wu of the University of Columbia calls dead zones. The complicity can be due to economic and social benefits that lack of enforcement allows, the sources of which are perceived not to be morally reprehensible. Furthermore, using the policy-making and decision-making experience in the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (Fig. 1), such complicity has boundaries and enforcement is agreed upon and even pushed when the economic benefits arising from the political failure are threatened. In the space where there is complicity in the failure to enforce, or where the resulting policy is overly broad and allows for selective enforcement, such complicity also leads to politicized decision-making, itself variably tolerated by stakeholders or opposed based on the risk versus economic benefits balance. Finally, the study suggests that despite the dead zones, there is an inherent aversion to withdrawing these unenforced laws from the books. Utpal Bhattacharya and Hazem Daouk of Cornell University, in their study of insider trading, suggests that unenforced law may be more harmful than no law at all. As such, the study was in the context of law-breaking for economic benefit, it is contrasted with law-breaking in a protected area for economic gain. Bhattacharya and Daouk suggests that a less transparent, unequal marketplace tends to disadvantage outsiders, and disadvantaged outsiders demand a higher return on their investments. The paper explores whether those disadvantaged by politicized decision-making on the issuance of licenses for fishcages in Taal Lake will tend to circumvent other protected area policies in order to get a higher return on investment, thereby creating a larger dead zone in a different area of regulation. Hence, the enforcement cost would be higher in terms of monitoring compliance with aquaculture regulations that are harder to monitor such as stocking density standards and feeding regulations.

A taxonomic survey of diatom flora was conducted through sediments (from 25 cm to 200 cm depth) along the shoreline of Lake Caliraya, a man-made lake in Laguna Province, Philippines. There were a total of 63 diatom taxa belonging to three classes and 28 genera. About 93% were pennate diatoms and the other 7% are centric diatoms. Cocconeis placentula, Sellphora pupula, and Gomphonema accuminatum var. turris were the more abundant and frequently occurring pennate diatom species in the study. More frequently occurring centric diatoms include Aulacoseira granulata and Cyclotella menehegniana. Rarely occurring diatoms in this lake were also noted, including Synedra incisa, Fragilaria crotonensis, Bacillaria paxillifer, Craticula perotettii, and Amphora ovalis.

Lake Mainit in Northeastern Mindanao is an important shared resource of the Provinces of Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte. It is distinguished as the deepest (219.35 m) and the fourth largest (17,060 ha) lake in the Philippines with 28 river tributaries and only one outlet river that flows into Butuan Bay. The most recent assessment in 2007-2008 showed that at least 15 species of aquatic plants, 41 species of fish, five crustaceans, and 10 mollusks occur in Lake Mainit and its outlet Kalinawan River. Lake Mainit has a very diverse fish community classified into three different groups, namely, true freshwater fishes (lake and riverine), amphidromous fishes, and catadromous fishes. This highly productive and diverse wetland ecosystem supports a thriving freshwater fishery and the livelihood of more than 3,000 fishers using a highly diverse fishing gear technology. The municipality of Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte has the largest contribution to fisheries production (Fig. 1). Environmental and human factors have threatened the biodiversity and productivity of the Lake in recent decades. Certain species of fish are feared to have been extinct; at least 13 of 37 species reported by Pauly et al. (1990) were no longer encountered in the present study. More than 65% of the fish are migratory between the lake and Butuan Bay through the Kalinawan River. The population of the once abundant giant mottled eel (Anguilla marmorata) has drastically declined, resulting from massive fishing on adult eels during their seasonal spawning along Kalinawan River. The native white goby (Glossogobius giuris), locally known as pijanga, remains the most important fishery resource in Lake Mainit (Fig. 2), but the current fish catch is about 63% of the 1997-98 production as reported by Galicia and Lopez (2000). Many species are caught in progressively smaller sizes, resulting in lower economic value and hence, marginal fisher incomes. Pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, high fishing pressure, and lack of enforcement of fisheries policies have drastically reduced the annual fish catch from 15,108 t in 1980-81 to only about 831.50 t in 2007-08, which is only about 5.5% of the production level 26 years ago. Lake Mainit experiences the typical syndrome of a threatened fisheries resources: biodiversity loss, high fishing pressure, use of unsustainable fishing gears and methods, declining fish catch and catch-per-unit-effort, decreasing size of fish caught, and marginal or meager fisher incomes barely enough to provide for the basic daily needs like food, health, and children s education. The Lake Mainit Development Alliance (LMDA), an inter-LGU alliance among the eight municipalities around the lake, provides a ray of hope for this threatened resource. A fisheries management program is being integrated into the Lake Mainit Development Agenda to help restore Lake Mainit fisheries resources to sustainable levels.

Lake Caluangan is a saline type of lake ecosystem. It provides fishery resources, numerous goods and services for residents in the area. The study aimed to assess Lake Caluangan ecosystem in terms of fishery resources and physico-chemical parameters. Specifically, it aimed to identify taxonomically the present fish species; (b) determine the catch per unit effort expressed as biomass/hr; (c) assess the physico-chemical parameters of lakes and relate the occurrence of fishes and (d) determine the social issues and activities that possibly affect the lake ecosystem. Five and three sampling stations were established in littoral and limnetic zones, respectively. Physico-chemical parameters were measured with three replicates per station. Fish sampling was conducted using different fishing gears. Cast net was used in the littoral zone, whereas various fishing gears such as hook and line, gill nets and lift nets were used in the limnetic zone. Fish were identified using fish keys/guides and FISHBASE. Social issues and activities were determined through interviews and ocular observations. A total of 18 fish species were collected in both zones. Six fish species were caught in the littoral zone, comprised of Scorpaenidae and Tetraodontidae families, Photopectoralis sp., Scolopsis sp., Gerres sp., and Mugil cephalus. On the other hand, nine species were caught in lift nets. These species were Sertola sp., Caranx sp., Mugil cephalus, Stolephorus sp., Apogon sp., Photopectoralis sp., Upeneus sp., Gerres sp., and Siganus sp. Moreover, Dussumieria sp., Glossogobius sp., Sphyraena sp., Terapon jarbua, Monodactylus sp., and Chanos chanos, were caught using hook and line and gill nets. Siganus sp. had the highest CPUE with a value of 1,421. 21 g/hr. This species has the highest commercial value among the fish species caught in the limnetic zone, followed by Caranx sp. and Apogon sp., which were observed in both littoral and limnetic zones. Results showed that physico-chemical parameters were suitable for fishery production. The present water quality condition and presence of fishery resources were indications that the lake has a great potential to accommodate migratory species. The results can be a basis for any management interventions to the lake and for future references.

The academic institutions from Japan, the Research Institute for Nature and Humanities (RIHN) and the Yokohama National University (YNU) provided a four-year (2010-2013) research fund and engaged the College of Agriculture-UPLB, the College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila (UPM), and LLDA, to conduct the first ever comprehensive integrated and multi-disciplinary researches on ecology-related food and human health risks for the establishment of science-based decision making and policies to protect the environment for sustainable urbanization and land use development in and around the Laguna Lake Region. The pilot study is a GIS-based risk mapping and assessment of the Sta. Rosa-Silang sub-watershed to provide basis for trans-boundary risk management of sub-watershed resources. This hopes to reduce the threats and impacts of climate change related flooding on urban investment, food security, health security, and, on the overall quality of life and environment in Sta. Rosa City, located downstream of the Sta. Rosa-Silang sub-watershed. The study likewise provided the graphic illustration of trans-boundary roles and ecological interconnectivity, as well as positive complementation between sustainable farming systems in the headwaters and modern urbanization in the lower portions managed by two politically separate LGUs belonging to different towns and provinces. The GIS-based risk based technical evaluation maps clearly identify the phenomenon called landscape inversion which manifested itself as alluvial fan formation with special recognizable footprints for high flood risk areas. Ultimately, the overlaying of GIS maps contributed to the (a) scientific explanation about the anomalies of river system, (b) possible maximum coverage of old Laguna Lake and location of its original boundaries, (c) areas whose groundwater are most likely vulnerable to groundwater contamination; and (d) explanation to massive flood and spatially redefine the old Laguna Lake water lines as the aftermath of super typhoon Ondoy.

The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), in its four decades of existence, is the only lake management institution in the Philippines. It was created in 1966 through Republic Act 4850. Since then, several laws and decrees were passed that further strengthened the powers and functions of LLDA. This paved the way for the formulation of policies and in the implementation of plans and programs in accordance with its general mandate to promote and accelerate the development and balanced growth of the Laguna de Bay Region with due regard for environmental management. In 2003, the Laguna de Bay, through the efforts of the LLDA, was among the 26 case study lakes from different parts of the world in the international project: Towards a Lake Basin Management Initiative (LBMI): Sharing Lessons and Experiences from GEF and non-GEF Lake Basin Management Projects. This was implemented by a number of international institutions led by the International Lake Environment Committee Foundation with funding from the Global Environment Facility. The experiences and lessons of the LLDA in lake basin management, together with other key institutions and lakes from five continents, were shared to the international lake stakeholders in order to guide ongoing and future programs on lake management. Further into the evolution of the LBMI project is the development of the Integrated Lake Basin Management Approach (ILBM) by International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC) and Shiga University of Japan, of which the LLDA is again one of the key institutions chosen in the assessment and applicability of the ILBM approach. All the six pillars of ILBM, namely, Institutions, Policies, Participation, Finance, Technology, and Information (Fig. 1) are under the management of Laguna de Bay. Yet, the big challenge of integration and coordination were magnified when Typhoon Ondoy happened in 2009 (Fig. 2). The devastation in the watershed, the loss of lives and properties, the flooding caused by denuded forests, uncontrolled development, and blocked waterways have shown that while the six pillars are present, they are not of the same strength. This has prompted the LLDA to revise its Master Plan in 2011 under the ILBM approach to reinforce and strengthen the weak pillars, to address the current pressures in the lake and in the watershed, and to respond to opportunities for better lake basin management.

Lake Danao, a 649-hectare lake in Pacijan Island, was studied to find out its status in terms of activities of the inhabitants and government initiatives to conserve the lake, being the source of livelihood and a tourist destination in the Island Group of Camotes. Interview guide and actual field visits were used to gather data. Results show that fishing using gill nets and fish pots topped the activities of the inhabitants in Lake Danao, followed by 'suli-suli' gathering for mat weaving and other novelties, ecotourism, aquaculture, and nipa shingles making. Government initiatives in conserving and sustaining the lake include the legislative support declaring Lake Danao as flora and fauna sanctuary, requiring the barangay chairmen of six lakeshore barangays to implement activities for lake protection, declaring September 18 of every year as Municipal Clean Up Day in the marine and lake waters of San Francisco, prohibiting slash and burn farming on the lakeshore, prohibiting the cutting of mangroves and other tropical trees in the lake, banning birdhunting around the lake, suli-suli plant cutters/weavers to secure mayor s permit, prohibiting the use of motorized vessels in the lake, prohibiting carabao bathing and washing of clothes along the lakeshore, prohibiting construction of dwellings and other structures within 20 meters from the lakeshore, adopting and implementing Articles 51 and 52 of Republic Act 1067, prohibiting solid waste and garbage dumping in the lake, and collecting entrance fees from Lake Danao visitors and the creation of SAN FRANCISCO LAKEWATCH. Aquaculture activities in the lake is only granted to agencies like the BFAR, LGUs, and other agencies in order to control the proliferation of cages and maintain the carrying capacity of the lake. The BFAR-7 was quarterly restocking the lake with tilapia fingerlings and controlling the standard size of gill nets to be used in fishing. Academic institutions like the Cebu Technological University and BFAR-Region 7 conducted limnological researches on the lake to monitor the lake s health and sustainability.

An investigation on the dominance and percent cover of macrophytes and invasive plant species in Lake Buluan, Sultan Kudarat was undertaken. Six sampling stations were surveyed, namely, LAT2, MAR1, SP7, SP8, CEN5, and CEN6. Coordinates of the different species were recorded and analyzed using ARC GIS to determine the percent cover of plants. Nelumbo sp., a native plant of Lake Buluan, occupies 39.21% of the area studied (Fig. 1). This is followed by Brachiaria and Eichhornia with 23.95% and 20.44%, respectively. Other species have the following percent cover: Phragmites, 8.68%, Ipomea, 3.84%, Scirpus, 3.55%, and Nymphea, 0.34%. On the other hand, two Sesbania sesban plants and an estimate of ten Polygonim barbatum plants were also identified. On the other hand, Eichhornia crassipes has a percent cover of 20.44% and is known to be an invasive plant commonly found in freshwater ecosystems. Along with invasive macrophytes are fauna species that may be associated with the different plant species identified, hence, a study about this is recommended. Because only the Sultan Kudarat area of the lake was surveyed, the Maguindanao area must be studied as well.

The seven lakes of San Pablo City are among the 20 small monogenetic volcanoes found at the Macolod Corridor of the Southwestern Luzon Volcanic Field. This study evaluated the relationship of sulfate distribution and provenance in sediments to the volcanic geology and origin of the lakes. Rock and sediment mineralogy indicated the absence of sulfursulfate bearing minerals. This is supported by the very low sulfate values in rocks from previous analyses. The elevated sulfate values (Fig. 1) previously noted in sediments, however, are not related to volcanism but are attributed to anthropogenic sources. Considered possible sources of sulfate are sewage, fertilizers, algicides, and fungicides.