Project update - Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project (Philippines) - September 2004
Added to website: 01 September 2004
Project Brief
Aim
The Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project is a three-year collaborative project (2002-2005), to survey the coral reefs of Sogod Bay. The programme provides training and conservation education opportunities for local Filipinos, as part of an integrated programme to develop local capacity and ensure the long-term protection and sustainable use of marine resources throughout the region.
Location
Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte, South-Eastern Philippines.
CCC Partners
CCC is working at the invitation of and in partnership with the Provincial Government of Southern Leyte and the Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc (PRRCFI).
Marine Science Programme
Baseline Surveys
Our baseline surveying programme is designed to gather data about the biological and morphological standing of Sogod Bay. These data are combined with information on human and natural impacts on the reefs, along with oceanographic data, to ultimately produce a Geographical Information System ‘map’ of the various habitats of the bay. It is like a ‘stock-take’ of the current marine resources, which is being produced to provide policymakers and concerned institutions with information necessary to effectively manage those resources. To date, the northern end of Sogod Bay has been surveyed, and the remainder of the project will concentrate on the south and Limasawa Island. If you would like more information on our surveying rationale or methodology, please don’t hesitate to contact our Project Scientist.
Number of transects completed
Transects 0608A, 0608B,0608C, 0612B, 0613A, 0613B and 0613C.
Reef Check
None
Interesting / Unusual Sightings
A large Humphead wrasse was spotted off our house reef in survey sector 7. This fish was over 2m in length and is an excellent indicator of a healthy reef. Despite their enormous size humphead wrasse are shy fish and a rare sight in the Philippines as they have been removed through overfishing. This sighting was especially unusual and encouraging, as the fish was of such maturity, inferable from its size. Larger fish are becoming increasingly rare because they are fished before they have chance to grow to their full size. This sighting was located next to a proposed fish sanctuary in Barangay Buenavista. It is hoped that sightings of Humphead wrasse and other large fish will become more regular as a result of more protection and safe breeding areas in areas like fish sanctuaries. Fish sanctuaries can help provide a sustainable, steady supply of bigger fish for the local people.
Environmental Awareness
Capacity Building/Training of Local Counterparts
At the start of the month, CCC sponsored Barangay representatives from Padre Burgos, plus members of the Municipal and Provincial Government, to undertake a cross-site visit to Apo Island, Negros Oriental.
Apo Island is famous throughout the world because it is has a well-established fish sanctuary run by the local people. The current population of 700 has increased since the sanctuary was first established in 1982, but the fish population has also increased meaning plenty of food for the whole island. The fish sanctuary is comprised of a small ‘no take’ area providing a safe place for fish to breed and grow in size, with this ‘no-take’ area accounting for only a small proportion of the overall reef. Over time fish from the sanctuary overspill into the other surrounding areas supplying the local sea with plenty of large fish, which are then caught by the community fisherfolk using sustainable fishing methods.
