Firm Denies Culpability In Epe Tilapia Fish Mortality

The management of Renecon Limited has denied that its activities were responsible for the death of Tilapia fishes in their cluster in Epe, Lagos State.

LEADERSHIP reports that last Sunday, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), visited the site of Renecon located in Epe in response to a trending social media video report by the tilapia fish farmers of their loss in Ebute Afuye Cluster of Epe.

Also, the executive chairman of Epe local government area, Princess Surah Animashaun, absolved Renecon culpability from the death of the tilapia fishes, saying massive presence of water hyacinth which took over the entire fish farming area was responsible for the fishes’ mortality.

Fielding questions from journalists, the managing director, Renecon Limited, Anthony Bademosi, disclosed that the recent petition was the second against the company.

According to him, the first petition collapsed due to diligent investigations and wondered how his company’s activities which were far away from the location of the fish farm could have impacted the unfortunate circumstances.

 “We believe that some powerful interests want to get rid of us in Epe. Renecon Limited operates under extant laws both within the federal and state government environmental rubrics. We have conducted our activities well and are in good terms with our local stakeholders, so for some faceless and alleged fish farmers to want to frame us as the originator of the unfortunate mortality of caged tilapia fishes in Epe is not only pedestrian, but a  failed clever diversionary tactics to bring us down.

According to the Renecon boss, traditional fish farmers and informed stakeholders were of the opinion that water hyacinth which is a seasonal environmental malice impacting on water transportation and lives of Marine resources and fisheries in the state, and in particular Epe area caused the death of the caged tilapia fishes as the vegetation covered and heated up the lagoon surface and drastically reduced the oxygen levels under water needed for fishes and other marine resources to survive.