According to the Updated Lake Danao Natural Park Protected Area Management Plan (ULDNPPAMP) 2017, households which rely on fishing in Lake Danao are affected by the fluctuating stock of economically important freshwater fisheries species like tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), ‘tahong’ or ‘tab’ (Anodonta woodiana) and the seasonal ‘kasili’ (Anguilla rostrata) (Jocson and Costim, 2010; ULDNPPAMP 2017). This situation worsened after a Magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit the island of Leyte last 6 July 2017. Since then, the locals reported declining fish catch. In June 2018, local authorities of Ormoc City released 20,000 tilapia fingerlings into the lake in the hope of helping the fishing communities recover from their losses. Instead, the LGU Ormoc received criticism from experts and other concerned entities following the said activity. These critics fear that the invasive nature of tilapia would affect and eventually wipe out the population of other indigenous fish species in the lake. Contrary to popular belief, it was in 1998 when BFAR Regional Office VIII first introduced tilapia in Lake Danao (ULDNPPAMP 2017). Moreover, the presence of other invasive alien species (IAS) like the snakehead murrel (Channa striata) was also observed in Lake Danao (ULDNPPAMP 2017). Other factors leading to the decline or fluctuation of fish stock could be the wastewater runoff from nearby settlements and agricultural lands. All these issues surrounding the lake resources prompts urgent actions to provide a detailed picture of the current status of the fishery and aquatic biodiversity in Lake Danao. The information that can be generated from these studies can be used to formulate appropriate, timely and science-based measures for purposes of development, management, and sustainable utilization of the lake resources. This component of the LAKES Danao Program is established primarily to address issues affecting the inland fisheries sector and the aquatic biodiversity in Lake Danao vis-à-vis the goals and objectives of ULDNPPAMP 2017. More specifically, this project will conduct a regular assessment and monitoring of the catch, composition and diversity of both native and introduced fish and other economically important macroinvertebrate species found in the lake. Together with the LaWaQ component, this project will also monitor the water quality and the plankton biomass, composition, and diversity, which will help us understand the problems affecting the fish and aquatic acroinvertebrate population dynamics. At the end, the outputs of this project would be beneficial to the LGU, concerned line government agencies (LGAs), and other stakeholders in formulating appropriate evidence-based interventions that can improve the living conditions and knowledge of the lake users while ensuring the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and lake water quality. Furthermore, this component of the program will contribute to the national government’s effort in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and 15 (Life on Land) of the United Nations Agenda 2030 vis-à-vis the Ambisyon Natin 2040. Most importantly, this project intends to help the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) of Lake Danao, LGU Ormoc and its partners fulfill the mission, vision and goals of the ULDNPPAMP 2017 specifically Goal 1. Biodiversity Resources, Protection, Conservation and Monitoring.
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