Taguig fishermen enjoy abundant catch despite threat from knife fish

The Taguig City Agriculture Office reported that local fishermen still enjoy an abundance of catch – averaging about 30 kilos a day – despite the presence of the knife fish, which is described as an invasive species in Laguna Lake.

 Mayor Lani Cayetano attributed such abundance to the lake seeding project of the local government, which she said continues to benefit small fishermen in the city.

 “The lake seeding has contributed greatly to the livelihood of our fisherfolk community. It deferred the threat of fish scarcity and in the process reversed the conditions,” Mayor Lani said.

 She further said that local fishermen currently take home at least P1,000 worth of catch every day.

 As of 2012, the city had already dispersed 901,000 fingerlings in the Taguig City waters. But the dispersal for 2013 has been temporarily halted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) because of the knife fish infestation in Laguna Lake.

 However, Agriculture office head Emelita Solis said that the interruption in the quarterly fingerling dispersal did not have a significant effect on the fishing fishermen community.

 “We have been consistent in the implementation of this project during the past three years, thus allowing the fish to grow and reproduce,” Solis added. ###