An assessment of the major fishery resources of Laguna de Bay was conducted in 1995–1996. The study covered the socio-economics of landed fish catch and inventory of fishing gears. The socio-economic survey covered 3,055 fishermen; 87.5% were full-time workers and the rest were part-time. The total fishing effort exerted in the open waters of Laguna de Bay was 10,653,220 hours with a catch per unit effort of 0.25 kg h−1. The total fish production was 8,146 and 2,668 metric tons in 1995 and 1996, respectively. The catch mainly consisted of 13 species and was made with 20 gear types. Among the gear types, the gill net, fish corral, motorized push net, fyke net, fish pot, fish trap, and manual seine with fish shelter were considered major gear.

In recent years, increasing global trade, travel, and transport had rapidly increased the rate of introduction and diversity of non-native fish species. Once established, some introduced fish species can become aggressive and dangerously invasive. Here, we provide the first report of the occurrence of a non-native Midas cichlid Amphilophus citrinellus in Laguna de Bay using morphological analysis and genetic marker, specifically the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1). The results provide important information on the presence of another invasive species in Laguna de Bay that needs to be addressed since this species can competitively exclude, predate, and displace native species.