SUAL FISH CAGES CONTROVERSY

LINGAYEN—Keep them but move them.

This is how the inter-agency committee formed by Governor Amado Espino Jr. proposes to resolve the issues and the problems posed by the proliferation of commercial floating fish cages near the periphery of the Sual Coal-fired Power Plant at Baquioen Bay in Sual town.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Director Nestor Domenden said the committee has proposed to simply move the fish cages further away from the power plant operated by TeaM Energy instead of dismantling the structures.

In a meeting last October 4, the manager of the Sual coal-fired power plant, Ruben Licerio, clarified that they are in fact not asking for the demolition of the fish cages but only to move them at a safe distance away from the plant.

But Sual Mayor Robert Arcinue remained adamant saying TeaM Energy should just double the power plant’s security to minimize the threat to the plant.

The meeting was called by the inter-agency committee and attended by its chair, Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan, with representatives from the DENR-EMB and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) as the other members.

Domenden said some of the fish cages owned by various locators are now only 50 meters away from the plant, which is a violation of the agreement supposedly entered into by the locators with the local government of Sual to keep the structures at a safe distance of some 350 meters.

At a 50-meter distance, he added, the structures do pose a danger to the plant as averred by TeaM Energy in a letter to the governor to help resolve the situation that could cause serious disruption in the plant’s operation and result to a Luzon-wide massive brownout.

TeaM Energy warned that the close proximity of the fish cages could clog the water outflow canal from the plant’s cooling system.

The power plant produces 1,200 megawatts of electricity, which represents 22 per cent of the total electricity that is distributed each day by the Luzon grid.

NO DISMANTLING

Notwithstanding its findings, the committee also recognizes that dismantling of the structures will affect the town’s economy given the employment the cages’ operations generate and the income to be derived from fish production and taxes.

The fish cages are reportedly owned by investors who are not from Sual but employ some 1,000 local residents as caretakers and farm hands.

“Nobody will be displaced but the fish cages must have to be moved farther away from the power plant,” Domenden said.

The latest inventory conducted by BFAR shows that there are now 778 fish cages at Cabalitian Bay, double from only 350 to 400 fish cages in July this year.

PERMITS AND ECC

Of these structures, only 50 fish cages are positioned within the 10-hectare area in Cabalitian Bay supposedly set for fish farming.

Director Joel Salvador of DENR-EMB disclosed that only these 50 fish cages within the designated area were given an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) by his office and that all the fish cages located outside the 10-hectare mariculture-certified area violated Section 4 of the Presidential Decree No. 1586.

Salvador said that for the illegally-occupied area, their office can issue a cease and desist order against the fish cage operators.

Arcinue responded during the Oct. 4 meeting that he will ask the fish cage operators to secure an ECC.

The local government of Sual issues permits to the fish cages for P10,000 for each 10×10-meter structure after the locators have secured an ECC from the DENR-EMB.

WATER QUALITY

Meanwhile, Domenden also reported during the meeting that the water quality in the area is still okay but noted that the dissolved oxygen level of the water has lowered although the nitrite level increased, which is an indication that the water quality has deteriorated.

For his part, PPA Director Jun Monar asked the Sual government to cooperate and keep the fish cages not only 400 meters away from the plant but even 1,500 meters to ensure safety and security not just for the power plant but also the port of Sual.

Monar said since a port is installed off the coast, they have jurisdiction over the whole area.–with report from Johanne R. Macob.

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