May Update - Philippine Marine Project
Added to website: 31 May 2005
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 B2113A, B2113B, B2101A, B2101C, B2117A and B2105B
Reef Check
Based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), ReefCheck is the name of both the world’s largest coral reef monitoring network and of the common methodology used, allowing the comparison of results from various locations worldwide. Although less detailed than CCC’s baseline surveys, the ReefCheck method is effective for monitoring changes in reef health over time. In order to do this, we mark the survey ‘transect’ with metal stakes, to ensure that repeat surveys are in the same place each time. These stakes are sited in rock, dead coral or sand for minimal disruption of the fragile reef system. CCC is proud to be a major contributing member of ReefCheck. Check out their site at www.ReefCheck.org
The Reef Check series continues unabated, and further surveys have been completed on both the east and west side of Tangkaan point. Some of these surveys have shown exceptional live hard coral (LHC) cover of 85%. This is very encouraging for the nascent Marine Protected Areas: although some MPAs with relatively ‘healthy’ benthic cover have not succeeded in significantly affecting fish stocks, this still gives the project a higher chance of success.
Interesting/Unusual Sightings
Volunteers were pleasantly surprised when they encountered the largest fish on the planet, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) off the coast of Tangkaan point (although some taxonomists will argue that since sharks belong to a class of vertebrates distinct from the ‘bony’ fish, the use of the term ‘fish’ is inappropriate). The 7-metre whale shark swam towards the divers who were conducting a baseline survey and then proceeded to circle them before moving on. Locally known as Tiki Tiki, the whale shark is a very welcome site for divers, with whale sharks being frequently spotted in Sogod Bay by fishermen and recreational divers alike. Honourable Neil Pretencio, the Southern Leyte Provincial Fisheries Warden, gave a lecture to Coral Cay volunteers in which he explained that he used to swim with Whale Sharks as a young boy! These large but harmless plankton eaters can reach sizes of up to 18 meters, with 15 metre specimens having been encountered in Sogod Bay, offering great potential for eco-tourism in the region.
Environmental Awareness
Capacity Building/Training of Local Counterparts
At the start of the month, CCC representatives were pleased to be invited to assist in the monthly beach cleanup organised by the Catholic Youth Movement of Sogod Municipality. After the event, our Project Scientist was asked to give a talk on the marine environment of Sogod Bay, pointing out the opportunities and the threats that face the coastal communities. Community initiatives such as this are a keystone in the enhancement of local understanding of the processes and behaviours that can impact both positively and negatively on the ecology of the coastal zone.
An underwater reef cleanup was held at the proposed Buenavista Fish Sanctuary on the 21st of May before the official opening ceremony. Six teams of divers ‘spring cleaned’ the reefs at the now installed MPA. To everyone’s surprise, there was very little trash found on the pristine reefs, which once again underlines the value in protecting this reef for the benefit of the whole community.
Launching of the Marine Protected Areas in Padre Burgos municipality
On the 27th of May, four Marine Protected Areas were launched simultaneously in Tangka-an, Santa Sofia, Buenavista and Lungsoda-an Barangays of the Padre Burgos Municipality. Attended by the Provincial Governor of Southern Leyte, Hon. Rosette Y. Lerias, the opening was an outstanding success. Encouraging speeches were made by the Mayor of Padre Burgos, as well as by representatives of the fisherfolks, the LGUs and by the CCC Project Scientist. Everyone got a chance to visit the MPAs and see firsthand how the effort put in by the community has paid off. In the coming years, the MPAs are hoped to encourage the conservation and potentially even the regeneration of the local fish stocks, and to give the fisherfolk the chance to continue their livelihoods in a sustainable fashion. It must be borne in mind, however, that the installation of the marker buoys is not the end of the MPA process, but is really just the beginning. CCC would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincerest gratitude to Dr. Alan T. White (Tetra Tech EM Inc., Cebu) and Mike Ross (Coastal Dynamics Foundation, Cebu) for their lending their invaluable advice and experience to the project.
Upcoming Events
Our Project Scientist will be conducting a workshop, the objective of which is to assist the fisherfolk in gaining a deeper understanding of the importance, uses and limitations of the MPAs. The fishers have been involved as the key decision makers since the inception of the project, and it is generally accepted that a high awareness amongst the fisherfolk as to why certain fishing restrictions are in place is essential to the long-term acceptance and stewardship of the MPA by the community. This has been pioneered and demonstrated at other Philippines sites, such as Gilutongan Marine Sanctuary, Cebu and Apo Island, Negros Oriental.
