MORE than 100 illegal fish pens still need to be cleared from Dagupan’s rivers but City Agriculturist Emma Molina said the dismantling team is determined to complete the clearing by August 30, the deadline set by the mayor.

An initial 205 fish pens were identified along the rivers in barangays Calmay, Carael, Lucao, Tapuac, Poblacion Oeste, Salapingao, Lomboy, Pugaro and in Sitio Tococ, most of which suddenly sprouted in March this year despite a standing moratorium on fish pens issued since 2011.

“Out of the initial total, 36 were already demolished, while 32 were found to have permits. That leaves 137 fish pens to be dismantled,” Molina pointed out.

The City Agriculture Office, together with Task Force Bantay Ilog formed by Mayor Belen Fernandez, have been undertaking dismantling operations since last month to clear the rivers of illegal structures.

The structures that have permits were fishponds whose dikes had been washed away by the river, forcing the operators to use nets in place of the dikes.

Molina reported that their dismantling operations so far have already reaped results with the improvement of the water quality in the rivers.

“The improved water quality has caused more species of fish to thrive, allowing hook and line fisherfolks to increase their catch, thus their income,” she said. (CIO/ARRF)

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