Scientists from the European Commission descend on Taal Lake this week, not to study the volcano, but to survey the economic and social benefits that the lake can provide to the rural populace, as well as the national economy.

Taal Lake Yacht Club provided the facilities of the club as a base for the operation, and in coordination with the 101st Auxilliary Coast Guard, and the Baywatch Foundation,  provided "Bora Bora"  for the team's use. 

Project coordinator Nan Duncan of the Royal Holloway Institute for Environmental Research, a college of the University of London, explained that the two year FISHSTRAT project's aim is to develop strategies to harmoniously maximise the number of fishpens in the lake, while ensuring that there will be no significant adverse environmental impact. 

The fishstrat group assigned to scan the depths to record the current endemic fish population gets set to board the Bora -Bora  at Taal Lake Yacht Club. 

This in turn, will allow local fishermen to continue catching the prized Maliputo and Tawilis, under set limits, and guarantee that the rural fish catching industry, and also subsistence fishermen, will be able to co-exist with the fish cages.
 
The University of the Philippines Institute of Biology has already been working on the project for several months, using facilities of  the Department of fisheries in Ambulong, Talisay, Batangas.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine research and Development (PCAMRD) are collaborating with UPinstitute of Biology to ensure the sucess of the project.