Will the pristine waters of Anilao go down the drain?
Source: World Wildlife Fund for Nature
For a minute there it seemed like so.
In the past weeks, five commercial fishing boats encroached the municipal waters of Anilao to catch tons of valuable tuna and other deep-sea fishes. Word spread that the poachers were getting bold.
Word also spread that illegal fishing activities will rise as WWF slowly lets go of its conservation initiatives in Mabini and Tingloy.
Last year, there was practically no illegal fishing in the waters of Mabini and Tingloy, said Riki Sandalo, WWF Project Manager. There were only small fishing offenders like those using compressors hardly any cause for worry.
But the recently apprehended commercial vessels not only caught a great amount of fish that should have been harvested by small fisher folks. They also used pukot that indiscriminately catches young fishes. This kind of operation takes away livelihood from the poor and disturbs the balance of a healthy ecosystem, he added.
When WWF, the global conservation organization started operations in the Philippines, the coastal towns of Mabini and Tingloy in Batangas were target locations for conservation. In 1998, WWF engaged all stakeholders to act on the dynamite, cyanide and unsustainable fishing that was ravishing their coasts. By 2000, marine enforcement was in full force when they revitalized Bantay Dagat operations.
The project was so successful that coral cover increased in some areas by 30% and fish catch jumped from 2 kilos to 10 kilos per day of fishing effort using hook and line. Soon, the neighboring towns in Balayan Bay replicated their coastal management project.
As planned, WWF will downsize its funding in the area by 2004. They are now turning over their coastal resource management activities and responsibilities to the LGUs and local communities.
WWF believes that with or without the organization, the natural resources of Mabini and Tingloy are in competent hands. Ironically, the current resurrection of illegal activities proved this.
Yes there were poachers, but they were quickly caught. And that makes all the difference in the world, said Sandalo.
The Bantay Dagat volunteers along with PNP personnel from the Mabini Police Station quickly responded at every crime scene and slapped each offender with a P1, 500 fine as stated in the Fisheries Code (RA 8550). In four weeks around 50 offenders in 5 commercial boats were rounded up for the offense.
Surviving only with an occasional rice allowance and meager stipend, the Bantay Dagat is a team of ordinary fisher folks with an extraordinary sense of responsibility. They patrol their municipal waters almost every night for 6 hours when they are not catching fish themselves.
Thanks to the Conservation Fee, where divers pay P50 to dive in a day, they now have enough funds to buy a patrol boat. They also no longer worry where to get money for their fuel.
The chain of cooperation doesnt stop there. While the Bantay Dagats patrol boat is under repair, Eagles Point Resort lends them a speedboat so they can continue patrolling.
A quality environment is good business for us. We will not allow these illegal fishers to destroy our livelihood. Because quality environment is everybodys business, we all have to put in our share, according to Rafael Francisco, General Manager of Eagle Point.
A good role model perhaps inspired these spontaneous enforcement efforts. Mayor Rowell Sandoval is considered by his constituency as an all talk and all action government official. Alarmed by the recent events, he is currently proposing to the Sanguniang Bayan to amend their existing ordinance that will allow the confiscation of boats and nets of all poachers.
Dapat lagyan natin ng mas matinding ngipin ang ating mga batas, said Mayor Sandoval. Kailangang mahinto na itong panghihimasok ng mga kumersiyal dito sa karagatan ng Mabini. They should respect the lawBalayan Bay is off limits to commercial fishing, and they should understand that.
Mabini and Tingloy is a beloved dive spot for Manila based divers. The two towns and a portion of Bauan town collectively earned a misnomerAnilao perhaps because not so long ago Barangay Anilao of Mabini was the only access and thus a jump off point for divers to the towns beautiful dive spots.
Mabini and Tingloys municipal waters, which are part of Balayan Bay, showcase a high biodiversity of corals and invertebrates. There are 319 species of corals in the area, 8 of which are rare.
Balayan Bay is considered as one of the major fishing grounds in Southern Tagalog. Located 80 km south of Metro Manila, it is a major migration path of tuna in the country. It is also home to 262 species of fish, 32 mangrove species, nine seagrass species, and charismatic species like whales, dolphins, and green turtles that exemplify the bio-richness of the area. There are around 8,000 registered fisher folks in the area that produce 17,000 to 21,000 metric tons of fish between 1994 and 2001. 60% of the locals in depend on fishing and tourism.
Mulat na ang mga taga-Mabini at Tingloy. Alam nila na ang mabuting kapaligiran ay nagbubunga ng maayos na hanapbuhay. Nagkaka-isa ang lahat na sektor, pamahalaan, mangingisda, at turismo. Pati mga bisitang divers ay tumutulong din sa pamamagitan ng kanilang Divers Fee. Patuloy ang magandang samahan ng mga may taya sa Mabini at Tingloy, kahit mawala na ang WWF, said Sandalo.
For more information please contact:
Riki Sandalo
Project Manager
WWF-Philippines
rsandalo@wwf.org.ph
Louella Beltran
Media Officer
WWF-Philippines
lbeltran@wwf.org.ph
Source: World Wildlife Fund for Nature
For a minute there it seemed like so.
In the past weeks, five commercial fishing boats encroached the municipal waters of Anilao to catch tons of valuable tuna and other deep-sea fishes. Word spread that the poachers were getting bold.
Word also spread that illegal fishing activities will rise as WWF slowly lets go of its conservation initiatives in Mabini and Tingloy.
Last year, there was practically no illegal fishing in the waters of Mabini and Tingloy, said Riki Sandalo, WWF Project Manager. There were only small fishing offenders like those using compressors hardly any cause for worry.
But the recently apprehended commercial vessels not only caught a great amount of fish that should have been harvested by small fisher folks. They also used pukot that indiscriminately catches young fishes. This kind of operation takes away livelihood from the poor and disturbs the balance of a healthy ecosystem, he added.
When WWF, the global conservation organization started operations in the Philippines, the coastal towns of Mabini and Tingloy in Batangas were target locations for conservation. In 1998, WWF engaged all stakeholders to act on the dynamite, cyanide and unsustainable fishing that was ravishing their coasts. By 2000, marine enforcement was in full force when they revitalized Bantay Dagat operations.
The project was so successful that coral cover increased in some areas by 30% and fish catch jumped from 2 kilos to 10 kilos per day of fishing effort using hook and line. Soon, the neighboring towns in Balayan Bay replicated their coastal management project.
As planned, WWF will downsize its funding in the area by 2004. They are now turning over their coastal resource management activities and responsibilities to the LGUs and local communities.
WWF believes that with or without the organization, the natural resources of Mabini and Tingloy are in competent hands. Ironically, the current resurrection of illegal activities proved this.
Yes there were poachers, but they were quickly caught. And that makes all the difference in the world, said Sandalo.
The Bantay Dagat volunteers along with PNP personnel from the Mabini Police Station quickly responded at every crime scene and slapped each offender with a P1, 500 fine as stated in the Fisheries Code (RA 8550). In four weeks around 50 offenders in 5 commercial boats were rounded up for the offense.
Surviving only with an occasional rice allowance and meager stipend, the Bantay Dagat is a team of ordinary fisher folks with an extraordinary sense of responsibility. They patrol their municipal waters almost every night for 6 hours when they are not catching fish themselves.
Thanks to the Conservation Fee, where divers pay P50 to dive in a day, they now have enough funds to buy a patrol boat. They also no longer worry where to get money for their fuel.
The chain of cooperation doesnt stop there. While the Bantay Dagats patrol boat is under repair, Eagles Point Resort lends them a speedboat so they can continue patrolling.
A quality environment is good business for us. We will not allow these illegal fishers to destroy our livelihood. Because quality environment is everybodys business, we all have to put in our share, according to Rafael Francisco, General Manager of Eagle Point.
A good role model perhaps inspired these spontaneous enforcement efforts. Mayor Rowell Sandoval is considered by his constituency as an all talk and all action government official. Alarmed by the recent events, he is currently proposing to the Sanguniang Bayan to amend their existing ordinance that will allow the confiscation of boats and nets of all poachers.
Dapat lagyan natin ng mas matinding ngipin ang ating mga batas, said Mayor Sandoval. Kailangang mahinto na itong panghihimasok ng mga kumersiyal dito sa karagatan ng Mabini. They should respect the lawBalayan Bay is off limits to commercial fishing, and they should understand that.
Mabini and Tingloy is a beloved dive spot for Manila based divers. The two towns and a portion of Bauan town collectively earned a misnomerAnilao perhaps because not so long ago Barangay Anilao of Mabini was the only access and thus a jump off point for divers to the towns beautiful dive spots.
Mabini and Tingloys municipal waters, which are part of Balayan Bay, showcase a high biodiversity of corals and invertebrates. There are 319 species of corals in the area, 8 of which are rare.
Balayan Bay is considered as one of the major fishing grounds in Southern Tagalog. Located 80 km south of Metro Manila, it is a major migration path of tuna in the country. It is also home to 262 species of fish, 32 mangrove species, nine seagrass species, and charismatic species like whales, dolphins, and green turtles that exemplify the bio-richness of the area. There are around 8,000 registered fisher folks in the area that produce 17,000 to 21,000 metric tons of fish between 1994 and 2001. 60% of the locals in depend on fishing and tourism.
Mulat na ang mga taga-Mabini at Tingloy. Alam nila na ang mabuting kapaligiran ay nagbubunga ng maayos na hanapbuhay. Nagkaka-isa ang lahat na sektor, pamahalaan, mangingisda, at turismo. Pati mga bisitang divers ay tumutulong din sa pamamagitan ng kanilang Divers Fee. Patuloy ang magandang samahan ng mga may taya sa Mabini at Tingloy, kahit mawala na ang WWF, said Sandalo.
For more information please contact:
Riki Sandalo
Project Manager
WWF-Philippines
rsandalo@wwf.org.ph
Louella Beltran
Media Officer
WWF-Philippines
lbeltran@wwf.org.ph
