53
Tropical Coasts
was the attempt to have the group
recognized through an Executive
Order at the provincial level. This way,
overall coordination and provision
of logistic support for the operations
of the Bantay Dagat groups can be
provided by the Provincial Government.
Some network members voiced some
reservations on this approach due
to lack of certainty of continued and
committed support from the provincial
government. However, the change in
leadership during the 2007 elections
infl uenced the shift in viewpoint with
regards to the institutionalization
process.
In line with the then-ongoing move
of formalizing the three-tiered
integrated coastal management (ICM)
Councils (Figure 1) to implement the
Batangas Strategic Environmental
Management Plan, the majority of the
network members decided to pursue
the incorporation of the enforcement
groups into the ICM councils at the
municipal, bay-wide and provincial
levels. Being recognized and holding
membership in the councils was seen
as a good alternative, providing access
to policy makers as well as potential
funding support from municipal and
provincial government agencies,
including the Provincial Government-
Environment and Natural Resources
Offi
ce (PG-ENRO), which acts as the
Secretariat to the ICM Councils.
Future plans
Future plans for the corridor include
the formal organization of the Batangas
network through an MOA creating
a provincial enforcement network,
to be signed by the participating
municipalities and cities together with
the Provincial Governor. The provincial
government of Oriental Mindoro is also
in the process of forming a provincial
enforcement network.
Bay-wide or inter-LGU social networks
can also help address common
issues and problems shared between
neighboring towns. An apparent
increase in awareness among Bantay
Dagat groups, LGU offi
cials and the
general community concerning the
importance of a united and concerted
eff ort to protect and conserve coastal
and marine resources bodes well for the
long-term success of conserving the
Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor.
b. Cagayan Ridge
Cagayan Ridge includes the Tubbataha
Reef National Park where all extractive
activities are prohibited.
Figure 1. Three-tiered organizational structure of the Batangas Environmental Protection Council.
1
Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Offi
ce (MENRO)
2
Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC)
54
July 2008
frequency from the
mandated 96 patrols/
year to 138 patrols
in the 14-month
project period. As
a result, 27 fishing
boats with 148 illegal
fishers were arrested
and 48 cases were
filed representing
considerable increases
over previous years.
Table 2 presents
patrols conducted,
violators arrested
and cases filed from
September 2000 to
June 2007.
Park enforcement improved with
the Global Environment Facility
(GEF) project implemented through
WWF in 2000. CI-Philippines assisted
in the formulation of Presidential
Proclamation 1126 which expanded
the Tubbataha Reef National
Park from 33,200 ha to 96,828 ha,
including Jessie Beazley (Figure
2) and provided the basis for an
increase in the valuation of ship
grounding damage from PhP4,000/
m
2
to PhP12,000/m
2
(US$89/m
2
to
US$267/m
2
).
A new 100-hp outboard engine and
assistance from the Seascape project
enabled the Tubbataha Management
Office to increase patrolling
Table 2. Patrols conducted, violators arrested and cases
fi led for violations in Tubbataha Park (September
2000 to June 2007).
September 2000 -
March 2006
April 2006 -
June 2007
Patrols/year
~65
110
Fishing boats
arrested/year
3
22
Fishers arrested/year
18
118
Cases fi led/year
7
38
Figure 2. Old and new boundaries of the Tubbataha Reef National Park.
55
Tropical Coasts
c. Balabac Strait
Balabac Strait has been reported as a
transhipment point for the live marine
turtle trade. Apprehension of fi shing
boats in the Balabac Strait increased
from 1 in 2005 to 27 in 2006, and 24
in 2007 (Figure 3). Of these reported
cases, violations of turtle capture by
foreign fi shing vessels and fi shing
using pressurized air to drive out fi shes
were fi led in court. All compressors
used in the illegal fi shing activities
were confi scated in compliance with a
provincial ordinance.
The Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape project
supported a planning workshop
and two trainings on coastal law
enforcement in 2006. These have
contributed to the abovementioned
increase in apprehensions in 2006.
Training participants included local
community enforcers, representatives
of community organizations and
barangay (village) fi sheries and aquatic
resource management councils
(BFARMCs), elected village leaders,
municipal and provincial government
personnel (i.e., Palawan Council for
Sustainable Development staff ) and
personnel of the Philippine National
Police, Philippine Navy, Philippine
Marines and BFAR.
The re-assignment to other areas of
some recently-trained police and navy
personnel, a change in government
offi
cials and associated law enforcers
after the 2007 elections, and the lack of
budget and boats, indicate a need for
further communication and capacity
development at the local levels.
d. Tri-National Sea Turtle
Corridor
The Sugud Islands Marine
Conservation Area (SIMCA) is a model
for public-private engagement in MPA
management in the Sulu-Sulawesi
Seascape. SIMCA is a group of three
Box 1. Estimating Appropriate Fines for Ship Grounding in
Tubbataha.
Rosales (2006) provides an example of designating values on environmental goods
and services, specifi cally estimating the cost of the damages to coral reefs caused
by ship grounding in Tubbataha.
Two methods were used in estimating the total economic value (TEV) of the
damages to coral reefs.
One method, called the “production approach,” puts an estimated value on the
goods and services produced by coral reefs. The estimate was based on the
allowed activities in the Tubbataha reefs: recreational diving and research, and
contribution to fi sh productivity beyond the park. An annual economic value
of PhP208 to PhP211 per m
2
/year was estimated. However, ship grounding
extensively harms coral reefs and the entire ecosystem and will need more than a
year to recover.
When left by itself, it would take decades for coral reefs to regenerate. The
fastest recorded natural regeneration took 20 years in the Great Barrier Reef in
Australia. Experts say that some coral reefs would take 70 years (Quibilan, personal
communication).
Due to the wide discrepancy of estimates, this particular study used 45 years as the
average number of years it would take for a coral reef to regenerate. The proposed
recommended minimum fi ne for ship grounding using the production approach is
thus estimated at PhP9,500/m
2
(PhP211/m
2
/year for 45 years).
Human intervention speeds up the regeneration of coral reefs which are then
factored in computing costs such as capital, operational and labor expenses.
The second method, called the “restoration cost approach” used estimates of the
costs involved in substate stabilization, structural restoration, coral transplantation
and enhanced biological restoration. Capital costs include pre-construction and
construction costs; operational costs include materials, equipment, staff wages and
administration costs; and labor costs involve supervision, training and labor for
actual activities for restoration. Restoration cost was estimated at PhP44 million
or PhP15,000/m
2
.
The study proposes that the fi ne for ship grounding of PhP4,000/m
be increased
to between PhP9,500 and PhP15,000 per m
2
.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2005
2006
2007
Boats apprehended
fishing using
pressurised air to
drive out fishes
fishing without a
mayor's permit
foreign fishing
vessel with caught
sea turtles
fishing using
compressor
fishing with
explosives
Figure 3. Boats engaged in illegal fi shing apprehended in Balabac.