86 fishpens dismantled in 3 days
THE dismantling of illegal fish pens and other structures in Dagupan is now in full swing with 86 fish pen units and other aquaculture structures removed in the first three days of operations.
After the dismantling, which is part of the city government’s river clean-up program, a one-year moratorium on fish pens and any fish-catching structures in local rivers will be implemented.
Majority of the stakeholders had agreed to the dismantling when they signed a covenant during the recently held aquaculture practitioners’ symposium.
Mayor Benjamin Lim has been personally supervising the clearing operations, which started on October 4 led with the City Agriculture Office.
City Agriculturist Emma Molina said it was quite easy for the clearing team this time around to dismantle the fishpens because the affected fish pen operators have abandoned their structures as their manifestation of voluntary compliance.
“Compared to previous years, when the fish pen owners complied because they were forced to, it’s different this time. The program is more acceptable to them this time,” she said.
“In return the city is dismantling the structures at no cost to the operators which would have cost the owners P3,000 if they did it themselves,” she added.
Molina is confident that by the end of the month, her office shall have dismantled all fish pens in the city if the owners continue to be cooperative.
She also explained that in order not to affect the price and supply of bangus in the market, the city action teams are doing it zone by zone “and there are less than ten units that remain in operation. We also need to control the supply and the price of the bangus in the market.”
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