Reefs in some towns badly damaged

CEBU - The 10-man team from Durham University, England that conducted reef check surveys in Central Visayas disclosed that “big damage” has been inflicted on reefs in the towns of Ronda, Bantayan, Santander, Samboan and Mactan Island in Cebu and in Palawan and Cuatro Islas in Leyte.

David Murphy, team leader of the Durham University Coral Awareness and Research Expedition, said underwater survey noted the damage caused by illegal fishing through cyanide, blasting, gleaning, and muro-ami.

The two-month initiative was aimed not only to monitor the condition of reefs in the Visayas but also to promote awareness of the marine environment in the localities where the surveys were undertaken.

The internationally recognized reef check surveys covered over 55,000 meters of reef across three regions in the Visayan sea.

DUCARE conducted the survey in collaboration with the Coastal Dynamics Foundation.

Environmental lawyer Antonio Opposa, president of the Visayan Sea Squadron, lauded the young students from Durham University who conducted the surveys, saying what they have discovered is a “big insult” to local officials who failed to address the perennial problem of illegal fishing in their respective localities.

“Maayo pa ang mga langyaw kay nagpakita pa sa ilang pagpakabana sa problema sa atong kadagatan nga grabe na gayud kaayo ang kadaut,” Opposa said.

Opposa, nevertheless, said the fight for the environment is not necessarily a losing battle because some localities have started to show interest in protecting their marine resources, including the towns of Samboan and Santander in the south.

The expedition team discovered that the reefs they have surveyed are home over a million of diverse aquatic species of which only 93,000 are currently classified.

Twenty percent of the global population is reliant on coral reef for sustenance, with the economies of over 80 developing countries and millions of jobs tied to this resource.

Reefs also act as natural breakwaters, absorbing wave energy and protecting coastal regions from hurricane and typhoons.

Coral reefs already hold the secret to medical advances in treating dangerous illnesses and diseases. — Jose P. Sollano/JMO