Mushrooming fish cages in Sual a threat to power plant?
SUAL–From 400 fish cages installed off the coast here before the May elections, the number of structures has now almost doubled to 778.
And all these in a supposed 10-hectare mariculture area for only about 72 fish cages designated by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Mayor Roberto Arcinue, who was re-elected in the May polls, has defended that the fish cage business that started before his administration, during time of then Mayor Louis Agbayani, and long before designation of the mariculture zone by BFAR.
Arcinue also asserted that the proliferation of fish cages is a sign of “good business” and means additional livelihood for the people.
PERMIT
The Sangguniang Bayan issues a fishery privilege to the operators who pay a corresponding fee of P10,000 for a 10×10 meter structure to the treasurer’s office before the permit is issued, the mayor said.
BFAR Regional Director Nestor Domenden acknowledged that only “the authority that issued the business permit can give the order to relocate the fish cages”.
In an interview with the media Thursday, he said the granting of permit is under the mayor’s office “but ideally it should be endorsed by the project management unit that is yet to be created”.
He explained that what remains to be resolved is who shall be given the right to locate their structure to the mariculture area.
Arcinue said he recently sent a team in the Cabalitian Bay where the cages are located to check which among them have permits and which are operating illegally.
The team has issued a warning that those without permits would be demolished in 15 days after the existing fingerlings are harvested, the mayor added.
POWER PLANT FEAR
The fish cages will soon be subject of an investigation after Gov. Amado Espino Jr. wrote concerned officials, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Ports Authority inviting them to a meeting on September 24 to discuss the matter.
The governor’s call came after Ruben Licerio, vice president for operations and station manager of Team Energy that operates the coal-fired power plant here, sent a letter dated Sept. 9 seeking the intervention of Espino’s office “for the regulation of unabated proliferation of fish cages near the perimeter fence of Sual Power Station”.
Licerio cited the expansion of the area beyond the 10 hectare area good for 70 fish cages allowed in the ECC granted to it by the DENR, very near the Sual Power Plant.
Arcinue, for his part, said he understands the security threat concern of the plant management “but these cage operators are not terrorists”.
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