Marine Rehabilitation & Resource Management

Introduction

The Philippines is very dependent on its coastal resources with about 70% of its population residing 50 km. from the coast. The coastal waters of the Philippines are endowed with some of the world’s richest ecosystem such as extensive coral reefs and dense mangrove forests.

Thirty percent of the coral reefs of the world are in Southeast Asia and about 7% in the Philippines. Our coral reef area is estimated to be about 27,000 sq km. Reefs contribute up to 30% of the fish catch in the country and supply of food to many fishes caught outside of reef areas. They protect the shoreline from erosion effected by storm, waves, provided habitat space for fishes caught for the aquarium trade, and contribute to the national coffers in terms of revenues from diving tourism.

On the other, mangroves mainly support through its natural productivity, a food chain leading to many fishery species such as shrimps and some fish. They offer coastal protection through their barrier effect, livelihoods in the from of sustainable wood cutting and collecting of products from plants themselves, and sustenance and income from fish, crustaceans and mollusks dependent on mangrove habitat and nutrients.

The seagrass beds, like the coal reefs and mangrove forests, have been valued for their role as fish nursery areas. They are a source of food nutrients for other coastal ecosystem.

Clearly, the most important marine resource in the country is that of fish.

Unfortunately, these ecosystems which are supportive of fisheries production are being degraded. They are susceptible to both natural and human-induced damage. When these ecosystems are degraded, fisheries production decrease and other benefits enjoyed from these resources cease.
Let us take for example coal reefs. Corals that mostly make up a coal reef require clean, clear water free from pollution and sedimentation. They need a certain level of salinity and can be withstand freshwater inundation, and sunlight to photosynthesize the large quantity of algae in their tissue which is largely responsible for their growth and production in a reef.

Moreover, the coal reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests are interconnected and damage to one part affects the other aspects of the system. This interconnected nature stems from the water medium which caries nutrients, larvae, fish and pollutants from one place to another, and compared to other marine systems in the open ocean or to all land based ecosystems except tropical rain forests; mangroves, estuaries, seagrass beds and coal reef ecosystems are the most naturally productive in the world. It is noteworthy that this productivity is free from inputs of people and derived strictly from nature. As an example, a heavily coral reef can produce more than 30 mt of fish per square km per year.

These are fragile systems which are being destroyed at unprecedented rates and are indicators of the condition of fisheries in general. Mangrove forests have declined from about 450,000 ha in 1920 to less than 150,000 ha today. About seventy percent of our coal reefs have been damaged by people’s activities. Proper management of our coastal resources is therefore necessary to ensure continuous functioning of these ecosystems and in turn we continue to benefit from them. However, management is besieged with problems.

RESOUCE MANAGEMENT ISSUE

1.1. Degradation of habitats and environmental in general.

A. Siltation
One cause of habitat degradation is erosion of upland and coastal areas due to illegal logging/cutting of trees, and poor upland agricultural practices. This causes siltation. The amount of silt which washes of deforested areas is tremendous and does irreparable damage to the coastal environment. A coral reef once silted will die from physical smothering and from the lack of light penetration into the water. Eventually, silted reefs will crumble and support very little fish life.

B. Distractive Fishing Methods
Another cause would be the use of destructive fishing methods. A variety of illegal and destructive fishing methods take their toll on the marine environment. The worst offender is blast fishing. It not only destroys the physical structure of the reefs but kills many reefs animals which are not harvested and are necessary for supporting the food chain of fish.

The muro-ami fishing method is notorious for its destructive effect on coral reefs brought about by the use of long scarelines with rocks attached to the bottom. Even though this method is banned, many small scale operations continue to fish all over the southern part of the country which damage many coal reefs annually. A less destructive fishing method is now operating on experimental basis hopefully to replace muro-ami.

The growing trade of aquarium fish in the Philippines has been marred by chronic use of sodium cyanide. The use of poison kills many organisms on the reef, in the vicinity and results in dead corals covered with algae. This is wasteful since the country gained a bad reputation in world trade, and most buyers prefer to buy from other countries. Now, programs are implemented to train fishermen in the use of nets to catch aquarium fish.

C. Physical Damage
Physical damage of the coral reefs is the biggest offender in maintaining their production aside from siltation. Anchors contribute to this damage in heavily populated and fished areas. The collection of coral for any use was banned in 1978 but many still collected for trade. Evan giant clams have been overly-collected and are nearly extinct from most coal reef habitats.

Manta rays are becoming very rare in the country because there is no active protection for these animals. This is true with other large vulnerable species such as whales, sea turtles, and sea cows.

1.2. Overfishing

A. Use of Fine Mesh Nets
A growing problem is the use of fine mesh nets in most net type fishing gear. Many catches of small fish used traditionally for drying are now laced with juvenile fish which never had a chance to reproduce before being caught. Lower production results.

B. Gleaning
People called al edibles during low tide from tide pools and exposed rocks. The impact of this is that many corals are crushed by reef walkers and the shellfish and crustaceans are entirely removed from the reef flat so that little production occurs.

C. Spear-fishing with Scuba
Spear-fishing with scuba is not permitted in the Philippines but continue in many areas. The problem with this method is that it depletes certain species from the reef. It is also not consistent with marine tourism where people like to see and take photos.

1.3. Competition and Conflicts in Resource Use and Allocation of Space.

A. Mangrove Forests vs. Aquaculture Ponds.
Many mangrove forests have been converted to shrimp and/or fishponds because of the promise of high rates of return from aquaculture. The question is whether the aquaculture is really more productive than the natural habitat for fisheries and other uses?

B. Good Water Quality vs Waste Disposal
Marine areas are used as waste dumping sites. Waste disposal from urban and from town centers is causing increased levels of pollution in many marine areas. Aside from being unsightly and unhealthy, marine life is negatively affected and sometimes killed or made toxic.

SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ISSUES

The underlying causes of the issues affecting marine resource management in the country are often considered to be social, economic and cultural in nature.

There is widespread poverty in many coastal areas.

Overpopulation is now clearly evident in the fisheries sector. The Philippines has one of the highest population growth rates of any country in the world. It could become the single most serious problem facing the country today because of the implications for the limited natural resources base.

The tragedy of overuse is occurring in many areas where the resource abundance and space is limited. The implications are that returns to each fisherman for increasing effort are declining.

LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

The laws and the institutional arrangements for implementation of management need to be improved. Some laws are not appropriate and often roles of particular agencies in the government are not clear.

CONCLUSION

The fisheries sector is besieged with these general problems in coastal resources management. Therefore, the Department of Agriculture with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, is implementing the Fisheries Sector Program to address these major concerns.

CRM problems affecting the country as a whole have been presented. In an effort to plan solutions for these problems and their causes, it is appropriate to determine the problems and their causes specific to the management sites.