BSL wants one-year moratorium on fishpens
DAGUPAN Mayor Benjamin Lim said he is considering a plan to declare a moratorium on fish pen operations for at least one year to allow the city’s river systems to “rest”.
Lim cited the wanton abuse by “capitalists” who expanded their pens from the approved 300 to 600 square meters into more than 1,000 square meters even as construction of new fish pens remains unabated in various rivers in Dagupan despite his order to suspend issuance of agriculture lease agreements (ALA).
Lim, who took office on July 1, has ordered the suspension of the issuance ALA because of several violations by operators, including the non-payment of ALA renewal fees.
Further, the city agriculture office headed by Emma Molina has also been ineffective in dismantling identified illegal fish pens.
Molina asserts that she could not demolish the marked illegal fish pens because she had not received any order from the mayor to do so. She also claims that the city’s fishery ordinance does not allow the city to collect the appropriate fees, particularly the arrears.
COUNCIL PROBE
Meanwhile, Molina has again been directed to appear before the city council on Monday to provide a qualitative analysis and explanation of the list of fishpen owners she submitted on July 12 for the ongoing legislative inquiry.
Councilor Librada Reyna, chair of the committee on agriculture, asked for Molina’s third appearance as she pointed out that the submitted list of fish pen owners needs clarification.
The city council had since asked Molina to provide a list of illegal fish pen operators, but what she submitted was a list that did not distinguish who are legitimate and who are not.
The inquiry on fish pens is being undertaken to enable the council to determine whether there is a need to amend the existing fishery law for the benefit of both the city and the operators.
At the same time, Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez also said she continues to receive reports that new fishpens are being built despite the order of the mayor to stop to the issuance ALAs
Fernandez clarified that the council is not against the putting up of fishpens per se as these are needed for food supply, especially with the opening of the new Seafood Processing Plant, but the city needs to regulate the industry to ensure the success of the operators as well as the protection of the environment.–LM
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