MAYOR Belen Fernandez has confirmed that some rogue owners of illegal fish pens have began employing deceptive means in order to be able to continue their illegal operations amid the city government’s current campaign to rid the city’s rivers and tributaries of illegal fish pen operations.

In a talk to newsmen last Monday, Fernandez said she saw for herself last November 30 what some fish pen have resorted to, particularly constructing “fake dikes” to hide their illegal operations with City Assessor Roland Suni, accompanied by Bantay Ilog Task Force to validate claims of titled properties covered by the river.

One fish pen owner, she said, has enclosed his pens with old tires where he planted mangroves in to make it appear that his structure is within his titled fishponds.

“Although some are now building fake dikes, it won’t work with us because we have the original cadastral map with us showing where the private properties are,” she told newsmen.

She said the city government already sent notices to owners of the fish pens enclosed by ‘fake dikes’ to remove the illegal structures in the river.

Fernandez said similar notices have been sent to less than 50 owners of the illegal fish pens, whether these are “titled” or not.

She said some 690 fish pens have already been demolished since 2013.

To demonstrate that she is not one to protect friends, one of those recently demolished was the fish pen in front of the property of former Councilor Liberato Reyna Jr., her political ally.

Reyna, however, denied that the fish pen was his and was constructed without his knowledge.

The mayor, however, did not indicate whether charges will be filed against the illegal fish pen owners that continue to operate beyond her self-imposed October 30 deadline.

At the same time, Fernandez said a dialogue with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) will be pursued after finding out that the latter was issuing fishpond lease agreements some of which still exist.

She said the CENRO should be in the forefront of cleaning rivers in tandem with the city government.

The mayor vowed to clean all rivers in Dagupan not only to restore their old beauty and grandeur but to support the livelihood of marginalized fishermen.

She said once the clearing is over, only prescribed sizes of fish cages will be allowed and the operations will be regulated since their owners will be required to secure permits from the city government.

To date, local fishermen have been provided bancas and rafts to enable them to fish regularly, Fernandez said.

She announced that the dredging of the rivers using two brand new backhoes of the city government will soon be started, possibly beginning at the mouth of the river to improve the outflow of water to the Lingayen Gulf.

The dredging, she said, will continue through the years until the siltation in the river bed is greatly minimized. (Leonardo Micua)

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