MOLINA VERSUS BARANGAY CAPTAINS

CITY Agriculture Officer Emma Molina is now poised for a protracted battle in city hall as blame game on the operation of illegal fish pens in Dagupan City has ensued.

She launched her first offensive following an earlier revelation about the presence of some 305 illegal fish pens in the city last week by accusing some barangay chairmen, or kapitans, as “protectors” of the owners of illegal fish pens.

Molina did not name names but released to the media a list of barangays where fish pens with un-renewed Aquaculture Lease Agreement (ALA) flourish and continue to operate illegally.

The list includes Barangays Pugaro, Salapingao, Bonuan Gueset, Lomboy, Calmay,Pantal, Tapuac, Carael and Poblacion Oeste.

The mentioned barangays have been found to host 126 illegal fish traps, also with un-renewed ALA.

Liga ng mga Barangay president Lino Fernandez took exception to the charge of Molina saying it is Molina’s office that should be blamed for the proliferation of illegal fish pens and not the kapitans.

He maintained the City Agriculture Office is directly in charge of implementing the city’s fishery ordinance, which regulates the operations of fish pens and fish traps in any water body in Dagupan.

Molina countered that kapitans know the owners of illegal fish pens because any communication from her office to the fish pen owners was always coursed through the barangay chiefs.

TOOTLESS FISHERY ORDINANCE

At the same time, Molina has sought the amendment of the fishery ordinance enacted by the former city administration in 2003 since it does not have any penalty clause against illegal fish pen operators.

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, presiding officer of the city council, said Molina pointed out that the fishery ordinance only provides for the settlement of ALA fees by defaulting fish pen owners and is silent on penalties that may be imposed.

This is the reason, said Fernandez, why Molina has been reluctant to aggressively pursue the demolition of illegal fish pens in addition to her being wary of armed fish pen operators and their caretakers.

Meanwhile, Molina told newsmen her office is still reviewing the list of owners of illegal fish pens, which she is set to submit the city’s finance committee.

Mayor Alipio Fernandez reiterated that Molina’s office should take the lead in going after the illegal fish pen operators with the cooperation of the barangay kapitans.

In a related development, stakeholders are hopeful that the problem of illegal fish pens may be given more serious attention now with the reorganization of the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC).

Last week, Bonuan Gueset Barangay Kapitan Angel Gumarang was elected chairman of the group, replacing Jess Paras who held the position for three years.—LM

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