THE campaign against illegal fish pens in Dagupan City is still on with some 50 structures already voluntarily demolished by their owners, while the remaining fish cages are being re-sized in line with an approved city ordinance.

The bigger fish cages in the water, said City Agriculturist Emma Molina, are now being reduced to not more than 25 square meters per unit to conform with Ordinance No. 2048.

Those structures that encroached navigational lanes are being moved to other sites too, she said.

Molina told THE PUNCH that the business plates for fish structures like cages and fish traps and oyster beds had arrived and will be issued to every structure that has complied with the ordinance.

All the structures that were issued their respective business plates will operate legally after their respective owners have paid the required Aquatic Lease Agreement (ALA) fees which are nominal though.

City Ordinance no. 2048-2015, prohibits the establishment of fish pens 68-2003.

Allowed only are fish cages, fyke nets (skylab), submerged fyke (poquet or banwal, lift net (batikwas), modified lift net (surewin skyblue), oyster beds (stake or tlus method) and oyster rafts (floating).

Molina said monitoring of harvesting of fish pens and cages is continuing and once these are emptied, the owners are required to voluntarily demolish their structures and many were abiding.

She was, however, silent on the number of remaining fish pens still operating but The PUNCH estimates that since 50 have been demolished, there are still some 250 structures that remain intact.

Meanwhile, the executive order that defines the implementing rules and guidelines for City Ordinance No. 2048-2015 is now awaiting Mayor Belen Fernandez’s signature. (Leonardo Micua)

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