Stronger laws vs fishpens sought

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — Several mayors have denounced the alleged proliferation of mussel and oyster farms in the polluted sea waters of Manila Bay as depriving small fisher folk of their only means of livelihood.

Orani Mayor Efren Pascual Jr. informed Bataan Mayors’ League (BML) president Nelson David of Limay town during a monthly meeting held yesterday that the sunken bamboo poles for oyster and mussel farms have an affect on the prawn and mud crab business of the residents.

Pascual is urging the BML to ask the Department of Agriculture (DA) to conduct an exhaustive technical study on the reported pollution of seawaters and to establish the cause of the "stagnant growth of prawns."

Mussel and oyster farms mushroomed along the seacoast of Orani, Samal, Abucay, Pilar, Balanga City, Pilar, Orion and Limay since five years ago. Pascual said these farms might directly induce the activation of marine viruses which are harmful to prawns.

Samal town Mayor Rolly Tigas said businessmen from Navotas and Malabon cities have used local fishers in acquiring permits for the construction of farms. He stressed that the BML should get the expert opinion of DA, Maritime and other fishery offices to help determine the legal implication of imposing local laws on the owners of the fishpens and farms.

Tigas added that the mussel and oyster farms have threatened to ease out the "alamang" (tiny shrimp) business of some 200 local fishers.