Sulu Sulawesi Seascape

Conservation International Unveils New Organizational Identity

Conservation International launched a new organizational identity that clearly links biodiversity conservation with human well-being.

Humanity can no longer consider itself as something apart from the rest of life on earth. If we - and the generations to come - are to maintain our quality of life and improve the lot of the billions of people who are poor and hungry we need to rethink our relationship with the planet.

We have built CI’s new identity and a new approach to our work around this concept and introduced a new mission and vision statement and a new corporate logo. Essentially, our message is this: people need nature to thrive.

Batangas inks executive order for protecting Verde Island Passage

Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto signed an executive order last week strengthening fishery and environmental law enforcement and forming a quick response team to facilitate more efficient law enforcement in the coastal, marine and inland waters of the province.

Oriental Mindoro furthers commitment to marine conservation program

CALAPAN CITY - The Province of Oriental Mindoro continues to step up its marine conservation efforts by increasing the support for its marine protected area (MPA) managers and law enforcers.

The Oriental Mindoro Marine Protected Area and Law Enforcement Network was formally established just over a year ago with the aim of maximizing marine conservation efforts through increased coordination among the province’s coastal municipalities. The network initially started out with seven municipalities and one city, with five other municipalities eventually joining in.

Changing the way we fish: Sustainable fisheries in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion

Promoting a mechanism that releases turtles from trawl fishing nets, and a sustainable fisheries project that is the first to address the transboundary management small pelagic fisheries management in this marine product-dependent region—these are just two of the milestones that are changing the way people are fishing for their food in the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME), home to the world’s richest marine biodiversity.

Conservation without borders

Three countries to report in Nagoya on collaboration in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion

After six years of harmonious collaboration to protect the home of the world’s richest marine biodiversity, the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the tri-national governance of the Sulu Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME), are announcing the results of their work, to document accomplishments and lessons learned.

Protection of Important Marine Biodiversity Areas Gains Support from Key Leaders

Tagaytay City, Philippines - The number and extent of marine protected areas (MPA) in the country’s most important marine biodiversity conservation sites have been steadily growing in the past few years. This reflects an increasing recognition by coastal communities, local governments, and other concerned sectors of the need for effective marine conservation and enforcement, a gathering of stakeholders and experts here affirmed.

“In the face of threats stemming from climate change, overfishing, and marine habitat destruction, stakeholders from all over the country are responding to this challenge by adopting MPAs as among the tools that will ensure long-term viability of our rich marine resources,” said Romeo Trono, Country Executive Director of Conservation International-Philippines.

Ocean (sunfish) clean-up in Mabini, Batangas

A rare sighting of the ocean sunfish (Mola mola) in Batangas, Philippines culminated in an unusual clean-up activity, as the parasite-ridden fish drifted near the coast and allowed a group of Bantay Dagat (Sea Watch) members to clean it off before it went on its way.

The ocean sunfish normally spends its time in deeper waters, and is therefore unfamiliar to the residents of Batangas. It was spotted in front of one of the resorts in Mabini, and a resort owner reported the sighting to the Bantay Dagat headquarters. A group of people from Bantay Dagat and the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group immediately responded.

The ocean sunfish, estimated to measure 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length and 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) in height, had many parasites around its eyes and mouth, which was thought to be the reason why it drifted weakly to shallow waters. It stayed put as a group of Bantay Dagat members patiently picked the parasites off. When most of the parasites have been cleaned off, they gently guided the sunfish towards deeper waters until it swam out on its own.

It is common for the ocean sunfish to be infested with skin parasites, which are mostly cleaned off by small fishes or even birds. The heaviest of the bony fishes, it can weigh more than 2 tons, with females producing up to 300 million eggs. This makes the ocean sunfish the most fecund or productive vertebrate species on earth. Its size and unusual appearance also make it a prize sighting among divers. It feeds mostly on jellyfish, and contains toxins similar to those of the puffer and porcupine fish.

The waters of Batangas are part of the Verde Island Passage, one of the priority marine biodiversity conservation corridors of the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape where CI works. Most of the municipalities in the Verde Passage have Bantay Dagat groups, composed of community members (mostly fisherfolk) who volunteer to assist local governments in enforcing fishery and marine conservation laws in their respective areas.

A rare sighting of the ocean sunfish (also known as Mola mola) in Batangas, Philippines culminated in an unusual clean-up activity, as the parasite-ridden fish drifted near the coast and allowed a group of Bantay Dagat (Sea Watch) members to clean it off before it went on its way.

Beyond fun dives

It was a normal summer day in the town of Mabini Batangas, one of the Philippines’ most popular diving destinations. The scorching heat was in full swing, the dive resorts were doing brisk business and boats criss-cross along the coast carrying divers eager for underwater adventure. But on that day, two of those diver-filled boats had a different purpose: instead of diving for sheer fun and adventure, these divers are going underwater to survey coral, fish, and invertebrate species in an effort to determine the health of the reefs.

When a whale drops by for a visit...

At around 3 A.M. on December 10, 2009, the town of Nasugbu, Batangas had an unusual visitor: a 29-foot whale stranded in the shallow waters. Village patrolman Herman Reyes spotted the animal while conducting his usual rounds along the beach of Barangay Calayo. A series of phone calls followed the discovery, and by daybreak, officials from various agencies had started arriving at the area, constituting a hastily-formed local response team.

Among the first on the scene were Municipal Agriculture Officer Rhodora Agapay and Jessie delos Reyes of CAPOceans, an environmental organization based in the adjacent town of Calatagan. Delos Reyes had undergone a Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Training organized by Conservation International-Philippines in 2008, and was only too willing to lend his assistance to partners in Nasugbu. Other agencies that sent their representatives to the area included the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippine Coast Guard, the Philippine National Police, as well as barangay and municipal officials.

One of the first things to be done in a marine mammal stranding is to observe the animal’s behavior and assess its condition, both of which the response team promptly did. They observed that the whale, which was in waters about 3.7 feet deep, appeared calm and was breathing regularly, but would move or trash its tail when the people got too close or too noisy. The animal was also found to have about 16 wounds on its body and the municipal veterinarian was called in to administer to the wounds, which was later assessed by experts to be inflicted by bites of the cookie-cutter shark.

The incident naturally attracted a lot of attention in the village, with the local school even deciding to release its students early so they can witness the rare spectacle.

Some of the onlookers were later tapped to assist in releasing the whale, which was done after the veterinarian had administered antibiotics to the wounded animal. About two dozen men worked together in lifting the whale (assisted by a rope sling) and guiding it to deeper waters. The whale immediately swam out of the cove as soon as it was able to float, and a boat followed it to ensure that it safely reaches open water.

Through the videos and photographs taken at the scene, marine mammal experts were later able to identify the species as a Bryde’s whale (pronounced "broodus"). This species is a member of the baleen whale family and is considered as one of the “great whales.” Although there may be some difficulties in differentiating among the three possible forms of the Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei, B. edeni, or B. omurai), the experts examining the photos were able to identify the Nasugbu whale as the Balaenoptera edeni.

In the Philippines, historical records indicate that the Bryde’s whale was hunted in the Bohol Sea in a small-scale by fishers from Bohol and Camiguin using hand-held gaff hooks and harpoons, respectively. This type of whaling was practiced in the region for over a century.

“Abundance and distribution of this species within our country’s waters is scant. This makes the Nasugbu whale stranding incident significant,” according to marine mammal expert Jo Marie Acebes (PhD candidate, Asian Research Centre, Murdoch University, Western Australia). Acebes formerly worked with Conservation International-Philippines and was also among the team of experts who provided marine mammal training for de los Reyes and other participants from the Verde Island Passage.

Cetaceans such as whales are key ecological indicators. High up there in the marine food chain, declining numbers of cetaceans such as whales can cause imbalances in the marine ecosystem, consequently affecting fisheries and those that depend on them.

Acebes said that reports of live baleen whale strandings are quite uncommon in the Philippines, and the data gathered from such reports are usually insufficient to confirm the species of the animals. “The commendable documentation and response of the people of Nasugbu, led by Jessie De Los Reyes, deserves recognition. Their quick response and resourcefulness made it possible to help the whale return back out to sea. The information from this incident adds to the knowledge we have of the species in the country,” she said.

In the Philippines, several trained groups of marine mammal stranding response teams are spread out across the country, forming the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Response Network. The network was formed through the efforts of conservation NGOs, DENR, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and local marine mammal researchers, scientists and volunteers. It was formally put in place after the creation of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Marine Mammal Conservation (IATFMMC) in 1993. Members of this network continue to provide training to local groups who want to be able to respond properly to stranding incidents.

In the Nasugbu stranding incident, the cooperation and flow of communication among the villagers, local officials, resource persons and trained personnel helped ensure the whale’s safety as well as the conduct of appropriate actions needed to document the event for research and information purposes. As Acebes noted, it was ““a good example of how adequately informed, concerted efforts of a group of people can make a big difference.”

Tags Verde Island Passage - Bryde's whale - Batangas - marine mammals

Support for Seascapes

For a fisherman whose livelihood depends on the size of his daily catch, the establishment of a nearby “no-take zone” would seem to be a very unwelcome development, yet thanks to extensive consultations, children’s books, a theatre group and increased fishing yields, the recent expansion of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Pacific Ocean’s Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape has seen widespread local support.

Why? Because although it seems counterintuitive, protecting marine resources actually results in improvements to the local fish catch, and a multi-faceted educational campaign by Conservation International (CI), the Philippine government and other partners is encouraging a greater public understanding and appreciation of the positive impact that protected areas can have on local livelihoods.

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