ORDERING THE DISMANTLING OF FISH CAGES, FISH PENS, FISH TRAPS AND OTHER AQUA-CULTURE STRUCTURES IN TAAL LAKE AND THE PANSIPIT RIVER

WHEREAS, Taal Lake has around 75 fish
species, some of which are rare food delicacies, like Maliputo and
Tawilis, which can be found only in this body of water and not in any
other part of the world and, as such, should be given maximum protection
in an environment that is conductive to their
reproduction;

WHEREAS, the existence and
proliferation of fish cages, fish pens, fish traps and other
aqua-culture structures along Pansipit River and several areas in Taal
Lake have:

1. Prevented small fish of
   such species from entering the said lake, through the Pansipit River,
   thus preventing the said marine species from
   propagating;

2. Polluted parts of
   the lake due to unconsumed feeds from fish cage culture and the
   indiscriminate disposal of empty plastic feeds bags in the
   lake;

3. Rendered the Pansipit
   River unnavigable, except by small bancas
   and;

4. Caused inundation of
   lakeshore areas during typhoons and continuous
   rains.

WHEREAS, non-residents who are
financing fish cage enterprises benefit much more from said fish cage
industry than the local residents who serve only as
caretakers.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS,
President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by
law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. All fish cages, fish
pens, fish traps, and other aqua-culture structures in Taal Lake and
the Pansipit River, without any exceptions whatsoever, small be
dismantled and removed therefrom not later than 30 days from the
promulgation of this Executive Order.

SECTION 2. A
Task Force on the Dismantling of Fish Cages, Fish Pens, Fish Traps, and
other Aqua-culture Structures in Taal Lake and the Pansipit River and
Establishment of Permanent Fish Cage Zones in Taal Lake is hereby
created as follows:

* Co-Chairs:	Executive Director
	Presidential Commission on Tagaytay-Taal and Governor of Batangas
* Members:	Regional Director, Region IV
	Department of Agriculture
	Regional Director, Region IV
	Department of Environment and Natural Resources
	Regional Director, Region IV
	Department of the Interior and Local Government
	Philippine National Police
	Philippine Maritime Command
	Mayors of the Municipalities around Taal Lake

SECTION 3. The Task Force
shall have the following mandate, mission, tasks, and
functions:

1. Zone Taal Lake and
   identify areas within the Lake wherein permanent fish cages may be
   allowed.

2. conduct a public
   information program about the official fish cage zones and the reasons
   why there is a need for
   such.

3. Cause the dismantling of
   fish cages, fish pens, fish traps, and other aqua-culture structures in
   Taal Lake and the Pansipit River not later than 30 days from the
   promulgation of this
   Proclamation.

4. Cause and assist
   in the establishment of locally-based Fish Cage Cooperatives that will
   henceforth own, manage, and benefit from the fish cage industry in Taal
   Lake.

5. Devise and cause the
   establishment of a regular mechanism manned by existing national and
   local governmental agencies/units for sustaining the efforts of
   regulating the fish cage industry in Taal
   Lake.

SECTION 4. Funds needed for the
fulfillment of the above mission, mandate, tasks, and functions shall
come from the existing budgets of the above mentioned government
agencies and units.

SECTION 5. This Executive Order
shall take effect immediately and remain in force until the above stated
tasks shall have been fulfilled.

Adopted: 22 Jan.
1996

By
the President:

(SGD.) RUBEN D.
TORRES
Executive Secretary