Transplantation of corals
After two hours we went to another important area where since a year, living coral is replaced from undamaged areas to this damaged and coral poor area. Three men are working eight hours a day to tie up the living coral to nets or steel racks lying on the bottom of the sea. After a year of doing this, a large part is covered with different types of coral and it looks beautiful.
Fishermen are not allowed to fish in these damaged areas and other vulnerable areas in the Tañon Strait. Rangers are monitoring these areas on a daily basis. Another part of the plan to increase biodiversity, is planting mangrove trees. Mangrove forests are a safe environment for small fish that in turn attracts and feed the bigger fish. The bigger fish are food for the larger organisms, such as dolphins and whales.
Sustainable fishing in the Tañon Strait
With an amazing view we ate our freshly prepared lunch on the boat near the mangrove forest. After lunch we interviewed various stakeholders including local fishermen who earn their living in the Tañon Strait.
The fish population and in turn the fish catch has declined significantly for the recent years due to human influences, natural disasters and illegal fishing. Formerly, fishermen used to fish with dynamite to increase their daily catch. On a longer term, dynamite fishing had the opposite effect. The value of their daily catch usually varies now between five and ten dollars a day. The Biodiversity Management Bureau and RARE are fighting against illegal fishing with programs supporting sustainable fishing. The fishermen told us they are happy with the measures against illegal fishing. Most of the fishermen understand that in the long term it is better to fish in a sustainable way.
Day 2: Fishforever with RARE
The next day, RARE took us to manjuyod, a village located near the Tañon Strait where many people owe their income to this area. RARE (an NGO) is trying to launch the program "Fish Forever" in the Tañon Strait. In our next blog we will tell you about our day with RARE. To be continued..
