Advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan on Monday joined calls for the government to reconsider its decision of approving an offshore mining project in Lingayen Gulf, which it argued would be detrimental to the country’s food security and fish production.
The group argued that the project that seeks to extract 25 million dry metric tons of black sand per year in Lingayen Gulf would endanger the aquaculture and fisheries industries in the area, affecting the livelihood of a lot of fisherfolk.
The group explained that the Lingayen Gulf has around 3,000 cages for bangus, thousands of hectares and fishponds, hundreds of fishpens with an estimated production from bangus cages alone at 125,000 to 150,000 metric tons.
The group added that the gulf is one of the country’s major fishing grounds covering 2,064 square kilometers of water, surrounded by the towns of Agoo, Alaminos, Anda, Aringay, Bani, Bauang, Binmaley, Bolinao, Caba, Dagupan, Labrador, Lingayen, Rosario, San Fabian, San Fernando (La Union), Santo Tomas, and Sual.
“At a farm-gate price of P110 per kilo, revenue from bangus production in Pangasinan alone is at least P16.5 billion. We’re very much concerned about the danger that this project poses to both the aquaculture and fisheries industries and the livelihood of fishers and aquaculture operators in the gulf,” said Norberto Chingcuanco, Tugon Kabuhayan’s co-convenor.
“We’re asking the national government to reconsider its decision to approve the project’s implementation. It will adversely impact the livelihood of fisherfolk especially since excavation will be allowed from 500 meters from shore seaward,” Chingcuanco added.
On top of this, the group argued that the gulf is home to coral reef, sea grass, and a spawning and nursery grounds for various important fish species.
“If we do not prevent the possible destruction of our coral reefs, livelihood and food security will be threatened,” it said.
“It’s difficult to comprehend why some government agencies would allow a project that will further compromise our fish food security especially since the government is projecting that we need to import fish in the coming months,” it added.
The group noted that former President Fidel Ramos declared Lingayen Gulf, through Proclamation 156 of 1993, “as an area to be devoted to sustain production of fish and other marine products, preserve genetic diversity, protect natural features, and enhance outdoor recreation.”
“The sand and other raw materials where magnetite will be extracted also contains eggs, larvae and fry which are abundant in the gulf,” it said.
“It is fair to assume that suctioning and processing raw silt along with sea water from where the magnetite will be taken are likely to kill the eggs, larvae, fry as well as small fishes,” it added.