40 DECEMBER • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG livelihood. In the end, the lake has not only given locals a source of livelihood but also given them a path to thrive on (Figure 11). Similarly, we were given an opportunity to interview Dr. Rey Donne S. Papa from the University of Santo Tomas who worked on Taal Lake for both his master’s and doctorate degrees. From this interview, we managed to glean insights on his perspective as a biologist on the effects of aquaculture. Here, he said that he “believes in the premise of aquaculture” as this was a method that allowed locals to produce fish biomass for the market, and without this practice, prices for fish would go up as there would be less supply to meet the demand of the people. He then noted that the problem with aquaculture lies in the fact that there are still a lot of methods that could be finetuned to better accommodate the environment. Feeding programs for aquaculture farms do not subscribe to scientific-based feeding regimes. Dr. Papa mentioned that rather than following a scientific approach to feeding, there is a tendency for fish farmers to just feed their stock with as much food as they can. However, this practice is detrimental to the environment as when the feeding pellets disintegrate, nutrients are released into the water which cannot be utilized by the fish, but instead contribute to eutrophication. He added that to fully limit environmental impacts, aquaculture farms should be conducted in zones outside natural bodies of water. This would allow fish farmers to have a more standardized approach to aquaculture that minimizes risk to the environment. Our interview with Dr. Papa highlights a missing aspect that would further allow for Taal Lake to thrive not just as a recreational hotspot, but also as a central zone for future research and longterm limnological monitoring. With proper funding, continuous monitoring of Taal Lake will allow for the protection of endemic life and preservation of the environment without fears of losing undocumented life to continuous changes caused by both natural occurrences and anthropogenic activities. Involvement of the community in terms of not only monitoring the lake, but also proper science communication, would allow for a shift into a more progressive practice of aquaculture in the area. Products of Time In the end, Taal Lake has proven to withstand numerous challenges and changes and has managed to support the biosphere. Labeling Taal solely as a tourist destination fails to do justice to its rich and often overlooked history. Being situated in an area with proximity to an active volcano in the middle of the lake that provides their sustenance, it’s amazing how the communities around the lake have managed to not only adapt to this way of life, but also to pick themselves up after unforeseen circumstances. However, this raises the question on how aquaculture should move forward. With phenomena such as algal blooms posing a large threat to fish mortality, and a disconnect between proper science communication and government support, there is a greater need for a standardized approach to minimizing factors that may lead to these events. Proper interventions are required to ensure management of Lake Taal’s waters and wildlife, and to allow fish farms and local fishermen to form a healthier relationship with the Lake. With constant monitoring, it will be easier to track changes brought on by anthropogenic activities. Policy briefs could be implemented in a timely manner to mitigate further damage and possibly reverse these changes. Regardless, Taal Lake and its people embody a trait deeply ingrained in Philippine culture — resilience. That said, the history of Taal may be as deep as the lake bed and may not yet be fully revealed, but its people and the lake we see today are the products of time. The lake’s legacy is built upon its relationship with people and it’s time for us to preserve this through proper research, implementation, and science communication. FIGURE 10. A feeding of one of the fish cages. Photo credit: R. Begtang. Regardless, Taal Lake and its people embody a trait deeply ingrained in Philippine culture — resilience. That said, the history of Taal may be as deep as the lake bed and may not yet be fully revealed, but its people and the lake we see today are the products of time. The lake’s legacy is built upon its relationship with people and it’s time for us to preserve this through proper research, implementation, and science communication.
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