Owners of 778 fish cages stopped
SUAL LGU-POWER PLANT CONFLICT
SUAL–The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) slammed the fish cages, majority of which were observed to be dangerously close to the 1,200 megawatt-Sual Coal-fired Power Plant, and ordered a stop to their operations.
The agency issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against at least 778 fish cages located outside the designated mariculture area at Cabalitian Bay.
In addition, DENR-EMB through its lawyer Joseph Estrella also imposed a P50,000 fine for each structure in the area numbering 178 believed owned by only 17 operators.
“Once they receive the CDO, it’s a total stop,” said Estrella as he explained that the CDO directs banning of the operations of the fish cages for a minimum period of 15 days and until the order is lifted.
“We are one with you but we also have to follow the law,” Estrella told the operators.
He pointed out that the operations of the fish cages may be in accordance with the municipal ordinance of Sual town but not with the national law.
Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue, who has been defending the proliferation of the fish cages citing its economic contribution to the town, urged the operators to comply with the laws.
The structures do not have the required environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
Section 4 of Presidential Decree No. 1586, establishing an environmental impact system for the country, reads: “No person, partnership or corporation shall undertake or operate any such declared environmentally critical project or area without first securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the President or his duly authorized representative…”
The CDO came less than a week after an inter-agency committee formed by Governor Amado Espino Jr. held a meeting with stakeholders to address the problem of proliferation of fish cages near the power plant
During the inter-agency meeting held in Lingayen last Oct. 4, the DENR said it issued an ECC in June 2013 only for the structures within the 10-hectare mariculture zone designated for 50 fish cages.
The biggest fish cage operator was Ocean Star Corporation which built 100 fish cages. The company was represented by a certain James Ty, a resident of the town of Sual.
Two companies, Sahara Corp and Super Mega Fish Corp., both based in Sual, were the second biggest illegal fish cage operators with 50 units each.
The third biggest operator was identified as DCDA Corp. with office address at Binmaley, Pangasinan with 43 units.
Sual Power Plant manager and vice president for operations Ruben Licerio previously requested for the transfer of the fish cages to a distance of at least 500 meters away from the plant as these pose threats to operations and security.
Licerio cited two instances in the past when jellyfish and bangus that escaped from the fish cages clogged the plant’s cooling system that resulted in plant shutdown and Luzon-wide power blackouts. (With report from PIO)
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