City Environment and Parks Management Officer Rhenan Diwas said results of water tests done at Burnham Park Lake have proven that it is safe for rearing fish.

Diwas said a water sampling was done at the lake before the dispersal of a fresh batch of fingerlings last Sept. 14, 2022 in line with the Dept. of Agriculture’s celebration of the 59th Fish Conservation Week observed from September 12-16, 2022.

The test conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Cordillera (BFAR-CAR) aimed to determine if the water is safe for fish breeding and if the fish from the lake is safe for consumption even if the city’s fishing activity at the lake is generally used for recreation.

“The result turned out to be good despite impressions that the lake is dirty and unsafe for hatching fish.  It is just muddy because its bed is not cemented,” Diwas said.

A total of 1,500 red tilapia fingerlings size 12 and 14 were released at the lake during the activity spearheaded by the DA-BFAR- CAR represented by Regional Director Lilibeth L. Signey; Regional Fisheries Training and Fisherfolk Coordinating Division (RFTFCD) Chief Lois Juen Fermin; Regional Fisheries Management Regulations and Enforcement Division OIC Dennis F. De Vera; Benguet Provincial Fisheries Office representative Riza A. Pulac in coordination with the CEPMO and City Veterinary and Agriculture Office.

  The city government, through the CEPMO, opened Burnham Lake to recreational fishing under a catch-and-release policy starting last June 13.

To date, the office has processed a total of nine fishing permits on a per year basis and at least 15 permits for single sessions. – Aileen P. Refuerzo