Task Force Bantay Ilog resumes fish pen demolition
TWO weeks of respite for the long holidays, Task Force Bantay Ilog of the Dagupan City government is back to do its work, monitoring and demolishing illegal fish pens.
The Task Force (TF) headed by Abel Abueme, along with a Team from the PNP SWAT began visiting oversized existing illegal fish pens in Barangay Pugaro, whose owners were already issued demolition notices weeks before.
It was learned that one illegal fish pen was demolished by the task force in the morning and another illegal fish pen in the afternoon of that day.
As of December 21 TF Bantay Ilog demolished 25 illegal fish pens, from among more than 1,400 units that sprouted like mushrooms in Dagupan during the past city administration.
Under the city’s fishery code, only fish cages are allowed to be built, but these cannot be more than 70 sqm. (10 meters long) by 7 sqm wide.
The illegal fish pens are without permits from the local government in violation of the city’s long-standing fishery code.
The TF initially issues notices of violations to all owners of illegal fish pens but these were allowed time to harvest their remaining fish in captivity on condition that they will demolish their structures after harvest. Notices of demolition from the TF are issued if the owners fail to demolish their structures.
While there were some fish pen owners who promised to demolish their own structures after harvesting their fish, others did not and simply abandoned their structures for the city government to do the work.
Meanwhile, TF’s Abueme said, the monitoring of all rivers is continuing to prevent the restocking of fish pens by owners. (Leonardo Micua)
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