Officials to meet, discuss options

CEBU, Philippines - Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will meet officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Municipality of Oslob to discuss a DENR order that stops the practice of feeding the whale sharks in the town.

The governor noted that the order is based on the observation of one person.

“Sometimes, as the municipality of Oslob has pointed out, there can be other motivations why other people are not very happy about having so many whale sharks now in Oslob and no longer somewhere else,” Garcia said.

DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau issued the directive to the DENR regional executive director in response to an email of a certain Elson Aca, a whale shark researcher.

Feeding the whale sharks or Rhincodon typus is reportedly against the protocol on whale shark watching.

The bureau ordered DENR-7 to collaborate further with the Oslob government to pursue “necessary actions” to stop the practice and to usher in low-impact and environmentally friendly wildlife ecotourism practices.

The presence of whale sharks in the waters of Oslob has put the southern town in the tourism map because the sharks have attracted foreign and local tourists, including celebrities.

However, some marine biologist said feeding the sharks is not a good practice and it may cause detrimental changes in their behavior. The municipal government itself moved to ban snorkeling and diving to prevent guests from touching or riding the whale sharks.

The governor, for her part, expressed fear that a ban on underwater activities in Oslob would drive away tourists.

From its end, DENR-7 will hold consultation meetings and dialogues with officials of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources -7 and Oslob to set a timeframe.

In a statement, Dr. Al Orolfo, Regional Technical Director of the Protected Area, Wildlife Conservation Zone and Management Services said the practice of feeding should be stopped because it alters the natural capability of the wildlife species to search for their own food and promotes dependency on those feeding them.

Orolfo said inflicting injuries to wildlife species is illegal and punishable under Republic Act 9147 or the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and their Habitats Act.

He added that wildlife species need to be protected because they play a critical role in obtaining or promoting an ecological balance while enhancing biodiversity.

Orolfo will lead a team composed of Coastal and Marine Management Division chief Edmondo Aregadas and Integrated Coastal Resources Management Project (ICRMP) Eco-Tourism Enterprise Assistants Joel Cariño and Lorenz Gideon Esmero.

In a site validation conducted by a team on eco-tourism enterprise of DENR’s ICRMP last April 17-18, 2012 it was reported that a number of whale sharks were injured by boat propellers. It was also found out that the mouth of the whale sharks were injured by boat propellers.

In a related development, DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo R.Montejo, in a letter dated August 7, informed BFAR-7 chief Andres Bojos the observations and recommendations of the ICRMP and the appeal to stop the whale shark feeding practice as indicated in Aca’s petition.

Aca is a whale shark researcher who, in a letter dated July 23, 2012, made an appeal to the secretaries of DENR and Department of Agriculture to stop feeding of whale sharks in the Philippines.    - THE FREEMAN