Mayor Belen discovers illegal fish pens in Calmay River
WARNING ISSUED FOR VOLUNTARY DEMOLITION
DAGUPAN CITY Mayor Belen Fernandez sent stern notice to owners of fish pens that have been illegally set up near the mouth of the Calmay River, ordering them to demolish the structures before the local government takes action.
The mayor discovered the unauthorized structures as she was making the rounds of the city to monitor the water level in rivers and other waterways amid the threat of flooding due to persistent southwest monsoon rains.
In a post on her official Facebook page, Fernandez confirmed that the photo on the front page of The PUNCH issue last week, showing the unloading of bamboo poles from a truck on the right side of the Jose de Venecia Sr. Expressway Extension while Typhoon Crising was about to lash Dagupan was intended for fish pen purposes.
Under an existing ordinance, fish cages may be legally erected provided these are covered by an Aquaculture Lease Agreement (ALA) between the city government and the owners, and must conform to required structural standards.
She pointed out that the Dagupan City government, through the City Agriculture Office and its Bantay Ilog Task Force, is strictly enforcing the ordinance to preserve the vitality of the city’s rivers and waterways and ensure fair and sustainable use of natural resources in rivers.
“All unauthorized structures will be subject to demolition and violators will face appropriate legal action,” she said. (Leonardo Micua)
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