A total of 492 illegal aquaculture structures that include fish cages, pens, traps, or baklads, and oyster and mussel farms in Manila Bay area have so far been marked for demolition in four coastal towns of Cavite, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
These include a total of 333 structures in Cavite City and159 in Kawit and Noveleta.
The DENR, together with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office (PENRO) of Cavite started marking the illegal structures for demolition last September 15, a week after momentarily postponing the dismantling activity.
According to the DENR-Calabarzon Office, marking the illegal structures for demolition is still ongoing.
Divided into three sub-teams, the marking team is composed of selected personnel from DENR-Calabarzon Enforcement Division, Regional and Provincial Manila Bay Site Coordinating and Management Offices (MBSCMO), Municipal/City and Barangay Government Units, Philippine National Police (PNP)-Maritime Group, and Philippine Coast Guard.
The said structures neither have permits nor records with the concerned local government units, according to the DENR.
The actual demolition, which was earlier scheduled on September 7, will be conducted after marking activities is completed.
DENR Calabarzon Regional Executive Director and MBSCMO-4 Regional Coordinator, Nilo B. Tamoria maintained that the planned demolition of the illegal aquaculture structures will benefit marginalized fishermen.
“What is important is in the end, many will benefit from this activity. The marginalized fishermen will have bigger fishing ground. We will be able to properly do zoning activity and put in place measures for proper fishing activities,” said Tamoria.
Early in July 2021, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ordered DENR- Calabarzon to regulate illegal aquaculture structures in Manila Bay in view of the huge amount of bamboo poles from fish pens, fish cages, and baklads/sapras washed from Cavite waters into the shore of Manila Bay due to the recent southwest monsoon.
