CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – An official from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) disclosed that most of the fishpond structures established within the major waterways in the province were not authorized.
BFAR Law Enforcement Division Chief Edwin Borromeo recently told Sun Star Pampanga that Fishpond Lease Agreements (FLA) involving the major waterways emanates from their office.
He said, it was BFAR who issued the corresponding lease agreement to any applicant whether natural or juridical entity that have proven to be possessing the qualifications required.
However, Borromeo added that in most instances the fishpond operators occupying major waterways along the stretch of Pampanga River all the way to the mouth of Manila Bay had no permits or failed to secure FLA from BFAR.
He explained that BFAR acts upon the lease application only after the concerned bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued certification stating the area applied for is available for fishpond development.
Among other requirement for fishpond lease application were sketch plan of the area with its technical description as extracted from the Land Classification Map of the Forest Management Bureau, non-refundable application fee of P1,000.00, affidavit declaring that the initial capital deposited in the bank shall be used exclusively for the development of the area, certification of bank deposit showing that the applicant has an initial capital in cash of P10,000.00 per hectare.
The applicant likewise needs to execute an affidavit excluding from the area a strip of 50 meters wide along the banks of rivers, creeks, bays, streams, seashore or other tributaries for bank protection with provisions of reforestation.
The lease agreement if granted by the BFAR expires after 25 years.
It can be recalled that the national government ordered the removal all illegal structures within major waterways in the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding provinces to clear water channels of all “obstructions,” including houses and fish pens.
The demolition activity was initially carried out by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) but suspended during the rainy season.
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