Philippines Marine Update: July 2005
Added to website: 30 August 2005
Project Brief
Aim
The Southern Leyte Coral Reef Conservation Project (SLCRCP) 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.
Project 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
B0533, B0534, B0535, B0536, B2107, B2108, B2201, B2209, B2213, B2309
Significant damage from the recent mudslides has been found in sectors 22 and 23 between San Francisco and Pintuyan. One would expect to find high coral cover here under normal circumstances but now the reefs here have been smothered by silt and sand. Not only a direct threat to the people living at the bottom of the hills, the mudslides also have long-term indirect effects on the livelihoods of the villagers in the area. Without the corals, the fish stocks drop dramatically, which will increase fishing pressure in other, already endangered areas. As fishermen get desperate to maintain their fish catch standards, it may lead them to using destructive fishing practices such as dynamite fishing. This only highlights the importance of preserving and taking good care of the healthy coral reefs found in the adjacent areas. Napantau Marine Sanctuary to the north of San Francisco is a good example of one such area. Coral Cay has found very high coral cover and fish numbers here. In addition to this, the area has some spectacular underwater walls that are right up there with other world-class dive sites attracting thousands of tourists each year!
Reef Check
Reef Checks continue to be used to monitor the coral reefs around Padre Burgos municipality and keep turning up encouraging results, even in the more populated areas.
Interesting / Unusual Sightings
Once again, the Marine Protected Area of Santa Sofia has been the stage for an interesting sighting! This time, a 1-meter Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) was spotted underneath one of the many coral overhangs in the area. The Giant Grouper is the largest coral reef dwelling bony fish. Specimens of up to 270cm have been seen, weighing around 300kg! The Giant Grouper continues to grow throughout its lifetime. Unfortunately, most specimens never get the chance to grow to a size where they can produce their maximum number of offspring. They are a very prized species on the fish markets and live specimens, caught with illegal cyanide fishing, often bring large sums of money on foreign markets, especially the Japanese market. Hopefully, this particular specimen will be safe from fishermen and live for many years to come and become a popular tourist attraction to the sanctuary in the future!
Environmental Awareness
On the 17th of July, an open day was held here at the SLCRCP base for the children of Kinderhilfe. Around 30 children got the opportunity to try out some diving equipment, watch a movie about the coral reefs, get a tour of our facilities and take part in a game called the ‘Coral Race for Survival’. Afterwards there was a slide show by the science staff. As a grand finale, the famous ‘Adventures of Fred the Fish Show’ was put on by some of the volunteers. Coral Cay has plans to visit Limasawa Island to entertain and teach the children there about the coral reefs and their importance. Of course, Fred and his friends will continue to play a big role in this environmental awareness campaign.
