Banacon island's man-made mangrove harvest unabated?

BANACON ISLAND – This island, off Getafe town, Bohol, of vast, yet diverse and beautiful seascape sprawling along the only documented Danajon Double Barrier Reef is well-known for its signature attraction, the only largest man-made mangrove forest in Asia.

But unknown to many, the indiscriminate cutting of mangroves has become a practice in the area. The abandoned, dilapidated and unfinished concrete boardwalk, apparently for tourism purposes, has become eyesores to the visitors, as well.

These scenes are what a group of foreign nationals, who volunteered to plant mangrove propagules in the area, witnessed during their recent visit in Banacon.

If harvesting of mangrove here remains unabated, the island’s reputation for being the largest man-made mangrove forest ever in Asia would just remain a name and what’s in a name, an island resident said.

The Banacon Island Mangrove Forest is an eco-tourist destination with an approximate area of 425 hectares established through community effort that started in1957.

This extensive mangrove plantation also has established scenic trails beneath overlapping and intertwining mature mangrove trees that are breathless to behold. The trees are a monoculture of the “bakauan” (Rhizophora Stylosa), the most common mangrove specie found in the river systems, estuaries and off-shore islands of the Bohol province.

Mangroves are very useful in ecosystems because they serve as critical spawning, nursery, feeding and transient shelter areas to hundreds of fish species, crustaceans and invertebrates and support an abundant and productive marine life.

The mangroves in Banacon, however, face danger because of the rampant illegal cutting. The island, with an area of 15-hectares of dry land, is inhabited by more than 300 families who are mostly dependent on mangroves “for firewood, for repair and construction of dwellings and fish corals or “bunsod,” and for anchors for monoclines of seaweed plantations around the island.

Provincial Environment Natural Resources officer-in-charge Nestor Canda said that necessary steps have been undertaken to prevent the illegal cutting and harvesting of mangroves. This included the convening of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), formation of a task force, consultation with the island folk and the strengthening of the people’s organization.

However, Canda said there seems to be confusion among residents because these people claim that they can cut the mangroves as their source of livelihood. There are also conflicting laws and regulations on the management of the mangrove forest.

One of the residents in the area posed the question, “Who will benefit from the mangrove plantations? Are they intended for your eyes only?” (FREEMAN)