Status and impacts of tilapia fish cage farming in Lake Bato: Some policy and management options for sustainable development
Share
Abstract
An assessment and impact analysis of the fish cage arming in Lake Bato was conducted from October 1999 to January 2000 through a field survey and personal interviews with fish cage farmers, operators and key informants in 10 lakeside communities bordering Lake Bato. Tilapia fish cage farming was the most dominant activity undertaken in the lake owing to its economic contribution and performance.
It is sad to note, however, that the management and protection of the lake has been neglected. Results showed that the lake is experiencing serious stress and degradation as a result of fish cage congestion numbering to more than 21,820 units indiscriminately installed all over the lake. The same is also the cause of conflicts (i.e., marginalized small-scale fishers, obstruction of navigational route, and proliferation of dummy fish cage operators) among lake users. As a consequence of expanded technology application, slow fish growth, algal bloom, fish kill, and the apparent shallowing of the lake have become alarming concerns among resource users.
It is also worth noting that the industry s sustainability is now under serious threat if not properly planned, managed, and protected. It is therefore recommended that alternative policy and management options be institutionalized. This would include formulation of a lake-wide inter-Local Government Unit (LGU) fisheries ordinance, implementation of Lake Bato Resource Management Plan, organization of a lake-wide fish cage farmers and operators, conduct of collaborative and interdisciplinary research and development initiatives, conduct of technical and management training for Best Fish Cage Practice, and massive information-education-communication (IEC) for concerned municipalities.
Suggested Citation
Nieves, P. M. (2005). Status and impacts of tilapia fish cage farming in Lake Bato: Some policy and management options for sustainable development. In M. L. Cuvin-Aralar, R. S. Punongbayan, A. Santos-Borja, L. V. Castillo, E. V. Manalili, & M. M. Mendoza (Eds.), Proceedings of the First National Congress on Philippine Lakes (pp. 179-192). Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
Type
Conference paperISSN
1656-8099Collections
- LakeCon2003 [49]
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Coastal fisheries and mollusk and seaweed culture in Southeast Asia: Integrated planning and precautions
(Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, 1995)Capture fisheries in Southeast Asia are characterized by rampant overfishing, made worse in many areas by problems of overpopulation and by inappropriate management strategies based on misconceptions about tropical fisheries. Mollusk culture and seaweed culture are frequently cited as means to alleviate fishing pressure and to provide substitute protein. There is great potential for expansion of these types of mariculture in terms of area used, species employed, and products generated. However, large-scale mariculture rarely provides significant employment, and the provision of low-cost protein in markets does not alleviate poverty in countries where food production is the primary means of employment. In cases where conflicts have arisen between mariculture development and ecosystem maintenance, mariculture has been favored by inappropriate economic valuations. Small-scale mariculture designed to provide alternative livelihood for fishers is worth developing, although limited by larval supplies and suitable farming areas. Mariculture should be approached as a species-diverse, small-scale enterprise within the framework of integrated coastal management. -
Development and conservation of Philippine mangroves: institutional issues
Primavera, Jurgenne
(Elsevier, 2000)
The decline of Philippine mangroves from half a million hectares in 1918 to only 120 000 ha in 1994 may be traced to local exploitation for fuelwood and conversion to agriculture, salt beds, industry and settlements. But brackishwater pond culture, whose history is intertwined with that of mangroves, remains the major cause of loss. The paper discusses the institutional issues — aquaculture as development strategy, low economic rent of mangroves, overlapping bureaucracy and conflicting policies, corruption, weak law enforcement and lack of political will — relevant to this decline. Recommended policies are based on these institutional factors and the experiences in mangrove rehabilitation including community-based efforts and government programs such as the 1984 Central Visayas Regional Project. These recommendations include conservation of remaining mangroves, rehabilitation of degraded sites including abandoned ponds, mangrove-friendly aquaculture, community-based and integrated coastal area management, and provision of tenurial instruments. -
Mangrove conversion and brackishwater pond culture in the Philippines
Primavera, Jurgenne (Asian Wetland Bureau; Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, 1992)
Around 50% of mangrove loss in the Philippines can be traced to brackishwater pond construction. The decrease in mangroves from 450 000 ha in 1920 to 132 500 ha in 1990 has been accompanied by expansion of culture ponds to 223 000 ha in 1990. The history of fishpond development in the country includes a government-sponsored fishpond boom in the 1950-g and 1960s, the proconservation decade of the 1970s followed by a shrimp fever in the 1980s. Production from brackishwater ponds has increased from 15 900 mt worth P7.6 million in 1938 to 267 000 mt valued at P6.5 billion in 1990. On the other hand, the maximum valuation of over $11000 ha−1 yr−1 for unmanaged and managed mangrove forests makes them economically on par with the most profitable pond farming systems. The loss of mangrove systems and their varied goods and services is the single most important consequence of brackishwater pond culture in the Philippines. Moreover, intensive shrimp farming is associated with other ecological and socioeconomic effects such as pollution of coastal waters and decline in domestic food crops. New legislation and enforcement of existing laws, conservation of remaining mangroves, massive rehabilitation of denuded mangrove areas, and promotion of sustainable aquaculture and fisheries are recommended.
