Question & AnswerQ&A (LLDA Resolution NO. 136, S. 2000)
The title of the rules and regulations is the 'Rules and Regulations on the Establishment, Safeguarding and Maintenance of Fish Sanctuaries Within Laguna de Bay.'
The purpose is to provide guidelines and regulations for establishing and managing specific reserved areas in Laguna de Bay intended to maintain or preserve fish and aquatic life, rehabilitate depleted fishery areas, and support fish populations in adjacent areas where fishing is allowed.
A fish sanctuary is a designated protected area where fish and aquatic life can spawn, feed, and grow undisturbed, with fishing and activities that damage the ecosystem absolutely prohibited.
The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) has the mandate to establish and maintain fish sanctuaries in Laguna de Bay.
The Rayap Fish Sanctuary, Tabon Fish Sanctuary, and Muntinlupa Fish Sanctuary are specifically described with their geographic boundaries.
LGUs are to be effective partners with LLDA in the management, safeguarding, and maintenance of fish sanctuaries, emphasizing collective effort in natural resource management.
The Philippine National Police-Maritime Command (PNP-MariCom) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) take the lead in enforcement, with support from other agencies and concerned LGUs.
Prohibited acts include undertaking any fishing operations, disposing of organic or inorganic matter or liquid substances that cause pollution, and damaging materials or equipment installed for the sanctuaries' purposes.
Violators are subject to penal provisions under R.A. 4850, administrative fines of Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) after due notice and hearing, and if the violator is an entity, its officers may be held liable. Civil damages may also be pursued.
They took effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.