Dagupan mayor: Remove all illegal fish pens

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines   â€“ “Remove everything. This is final.”

Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez has given this marching order to the city agriculturist on illegal fish pens whose owners refuse to have them dismantled. 

Fernandez ordered city agriculture officer Emma Molina last Monday to dismantle all illegal fish pens in the city’s rivers as some operators reneged on their promise to voluntarily dismantle their structures before the last deadline given them on April 30 had lapsed.

Fernandez said some fish pen owners who are not from this city are hardheaded, putting in new stocks despite the notices given to them.

Upon receipt of Fernandez’s order, Molina immediately conducted “Operation Baklas” along rivers in Sitio Tocok-Talaib where big fish pens are located. Joining the operation were the Maritime Police and the Special Weapons and Tactics team of the city police.

Using three trawls and a motorboat owned by the city agriculture office, Molina said they dismantled 12 fish pens in a span of three days. 

“With the pace of work we are doing, I believe that in two weeks’ time we will dismantle all the remaining structures,” Molina said.

To date, the city government has already dismantled 150 fish pens with only 68 units remaining, but these are expected to be voluntarily dismantled soon after Fernandez said the dredging operation is starting soon with the arrival of a Water Master III dredging machine from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“We are committed to the statement of Mayor Fernandez to do away with all the illegal fish pens before the rainy season sets in and avoid flooding,” Molina said.

Fernandez said the city government has already given fish pen owners ample time of about a year to voluntarily demolish their structures.

“Our patience has (lasted for) too long. We would no longer consider their request because the dredging machine has arrived,” she said.

The dredging operation is targeted at removing more than 250,000 cubic meters of silt in the Calmay River.

City engineer Virginia Rosario said the operation would take more than a year before the dredging will shift to the mouth of the river and then on to Pantal River.

Rosario also cited the need to dredge 18 shallow creeks in the city.