EDITORIAL - Life below water

On Saturday night, the eve of World Wildlife Day, Customs authorities at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 intercepted 1,500 turtles in four bags abandoned by a Filipino passenger from Hong Kong. Fortunately, the turtles, wrapped in duct tape in an attempt to avoid detection, survived the flight.

Trafficking in wildlife, for exotic food and medicine as well as ornamental purposes, has placed numerous marine species on the endangered list. Pollution and unsustainable commercial exploitation of resources have aggravated the problem, threatening food supplies, livelihoods and the marine ecosystem.

Marine life is the focus of this year’s observance of World Wildlife Day. With the theme, “Life below water: for people and planet,” it is the first time that the annual event is focusing on the sustainability of marine resources.

The United Nations reports that over three billion people worldwide depend on marine and coastal resources for their livelihoods, with the market value placed at $3 trillion a year, or some five percent of global GDP.

Yet experts say more than 30 percent of marine fish stocks with commercial value are overfished and 90 percent of large predators are gone from the oceans. The United Nations Development Program says a literal “sea change” is needed not just in marine resource utilization but also in land-based activities such as agriculture and waste management.

The Philippines, with its rich marine biodiversity, has a critical role to play in preserving life below water. The country, with its 7,100 islands, is home to the so-called center of the center of marine biodiversity in the world – the 1.14-million-hectare Verde Island Passage between Batangas and Mindoro that teems with shore fish. The passage has been damaged by pollution and the crown-of-thorns starfish that destroys corals.

Efforts are underway to preserve the Verde Island Passage. The cleanup of Boracay continues, and the government has launched an ambitious project to revive Manila Bay enough to make it fit for swimming. But many other waters around the country face similar threats. The effort to preserve marine resources must be unrelenting.