Reef check in Apo Island: Greenpeace probes coral damage

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines   â€“ A reef check in the waters around Apo Island in Negros Oriental is now being undertaken by Greenpeace, a global environmental organization, along with three other local groups to determine and document the extent of coral damage in the area.

Regular reef checks have been undertaken before by the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation in cooperation with Silliman University’s Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences and the Apo Island’s Protected Area Management Board (PAMB).

Initial discovery showed soft corals were badly damaged and resulted in degradation to some reefs in Apo Island, prompting the PAMB and local partners to deploy coral modules to help in the rehabilitation of damage reefs there.

Ira Beau Baconguis, Philippine’s program manager of Greenpeace-Southeast Asia, told The Freeman last Monday that the role of the Greenpeace team that arrived here will be to document what the local groups have been doing.

Greenpeace’s largest vessel, M/Y Esperanza, yesterday arrived at Apo Island for the launching of its Ocean Defender program and other activities, such as the reef check and buoy deployment.

Apo Island, a protected landscape/seascape in Central Philippines, was chosen as the launch site of the Ocean Defender program in the country due to its internationally famous marine reserves and its successful community-based resource management program.

Baconguis said Greenpeace wanted to showcase Apo Island as one of the oldest marine reserves in the country and perhaps in the world, and to present the efforts of local groups in protecting the island’s eco-system.

She said Greenpeace will be documenting the current state of Apo Island’s coral reefs after receiving reports of “extensive damage” caused by heavy battering of waves due to tropical storm Sendong in late 2011 and typhoon Pablo in late 2012.

Greenpeace will also participate in the installation of more coral modules, doing transects, counting marine species and rehabilitation efforts and the deployment of buoys in marine reserves at Apo Island, she said.

The outcome of the documentation of Apo Island will be linked to Greenpeace’s campaign on climate change and getting more movement globally to protect the current state of the oceans, said Baconguis.

Baconguis is hopeful that, after a few weeks, they will be able to present the scientific analysis of the reef check although initial observations during the three-day dive this week will be shared during a press conference in Dumaguete later this week.

This is the second time for Greenpeace to visit the Philippines, including Apo Island, after its first visit back in 2006 as part of the organization’s defending the oceans global tour. (FREEMAN)