8 reef sites in Central Visayas have poor corals

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has identified at least eight coral reef sites in Central Visayas that are of “poor” quality.

 These sites are situated in Argao, Oslob, Balamban, Bogo and Naga in Cebu; Calape in Bohol; Guihulngan in Negros Oriental; and Enrique Villanueva in Siquijor.

Four of the sites – Calape, Balamban, Guihulngan and Enrique Villanueva – are considered as marine protected landscapes.

DENR-7 conservation and development division has recently assessed 2,428 hectares of identified marine protected areas in the region, comprising 81 percent of the 3,000-hectare target this year.

The assessment was done to identify the present condition and composition of the flora and fauna in the coastal and underwater habitats in the region.

Mario Aragon, DENR-CDD chief, said poor quality coral reef is 70 percent dead corals while the remaining 30 percent is thriving.

Aragon said majority of the coral reefs assessed are in five to 10 meters deep, which is vulnerable to destruction. He added that good or excellent quality coral reefs inhabited beyond 70 meters deep.

 He said the degradation of the quality of coral reefs is attributed to unregulated fishing, cyanide and dynamite fishing and other forms of harmful fishing.

 Also, the continuous human activities along crowded shorelines and marine-based pollution are some of the causes of coral reefs’ degradation.

 Less volume of common fish like Mulmol and Danggit is an indicator of poor reefs.

 Aragon said this would not only hurt the consumers, but also the economy and tourism industry.

He said local government units need to strengthen and improve initiatives on marine protection. Other ways for the rejuvenation of corals are implantation and setting up of mesh nets on the sea floor, which is an expensive method of rehabilitating corals because it requires divers. 

He said it would take time, at least five years for corals to rejuvenate.

DENR has adopted the sustainable and ecosystem-based approach under the Sustainable Coral Reef Ecosystem Management Program (SCREMP).

 Under the SCREMP, a proper management, protection and rehabilitation efforts were conducted to 3,031 hectares of coral reef areas in the islands of Saag and San Francisco, Talibon in Bohol.

Protection measures such as re-stocking, removal of underwater debris and fixing of damaged settlement materials were conducted to some identified degraded and severely damaged coral reef areas.

DENR-7 Director Isabelo Montejo is urging the public to be more serious in taking good care of the marine resources.

 “We continue to try harder in our efforts to protect our coastal and marine ecosystems because once these coral reefs are damaged, they are less able to support the many creatures that inhabit them, which may cause more imminent damage or danger to the whole biodiversity,” he said. — (FREEMAN)