Section 51 of the Fisheries Code of the Philippines (Republic Act No. 8550) states that “not over 10 percent of the suitable water surface area of all lakes and rivers shall be allotted for aquaculture purposes like fish pens, fish cages and fish traps.” RA 8550 also says that the “stocking density and feeding requirement shall be controlled and determined by the [lake’s] carrying capacity.” The lake’s carrying capacity therefore allows up to only 9,000 hectares for aquaculture. But over the years, the area covered by fish pens and fish cages had grown to 12,315.80 hectares (as of June 30, 2016).

Cinco, M. (2017, January 3). Fish pens strangle Laguna de Bay. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A14.