WWF - Conservation and environmental news & publications: Philippines

WWF calls on US Government to protect and restore pristine Philippine coral reef following navy ship grounding

2013-01-25

Washington, DC -- On January 17, a US Navy minesweeping vessel became grounded on Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best protected Marine Protected Areas in the world.

Tubbataha plays host to about 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, 14 species of sharks, 12 species of dolphins and whales plus nesting populations of seabirds and marine turtles. It is a food factory for the Sulu Sea -- continuously seeding the rich waters of Palawan and the West Visayan isles with fish and invertebrate spawn. For these reasons, Tubbataha is a priority conservation area of WWF and is one of the Coral Triangle region's most important marine areas.

While no oil has yet been spilled, that threat remains and large areas of pristine coral reefs have been destroyed while monsoon winds have aggravated efforts to dislodge the ship. The wood-hulled vessel remains stuck and is taking on water, posing immense hazards to the area's fragile undersea ecosystems.

WWF calls on the US Navy to coordinate closely with the Philippine government's Tubbataha Management Office on the extrication of the ship. The extent of damage to the reef must also be determined. Furthermore, the swift, safe and proper removal of the vessel should cause no further damage to the Park.

Following the removal of the vessel, the US Navy, in partnership other US government agencies, should work with Philippine authorities to undertake a rapid damage assessment, as well as an economic valuation and then help restore the damaged parts of the reef.

Throughout its 25-year conservation history, Tubbataha has been resilient to many challenges: invasive species outbreaks, illegal fishing and seaweed farming operations, marine pollution, plus the widespread coral bleaching due to the 1998 El Niño phenomenon. This resilience gives us hope that with the proper response to this incident, Tubbataha – the crown jewel of Philippine seas – will ride out the challenge it is facing today.

For the long term, we ask the US Government to re-commit its efforts to protect this crown jewel of the Coral Triangle, which the US government has supported for many years with financial and technical assistance.

For more information contact:

Lee Poston, WWF US, +1 (202) 495-4536, lee.poston@wwfus.org

Gregg Yan, WWF Philippines, +63 2 822 2568, gyan@wwf.org.ph

Fishing for their future

2012-12-20

In the face of large-scale commercial fishing and depleted stocks, the handline tuna fishermen of Lagonoy Bay in the Philippines can still dream of a better life, thanks to institutionalized support for their traditional ways.

It wasn't always so difficult to be a fisherman, recalls Loreto Bollosa, 54, a tuna fisherman from Barangay (village) Fatima in Tabaco, Albay in the Philippines' southern Bicol province.

He has been fishing in the waters of Bicol's Lagonoy Gulf since he was seven years old, Bollosa says, inheriting the livelihood from his father. "This is the life into which I was born," he says in Pilipino, the national language. The difference, however, is that Bollosa is not passing on the fisherman's life to any of the five sons among his nine children. "It's a hard life, especially now. That's why I worked to be able to send them to school, so they don't have to endure what I did."

The tuna has always been there, and time was when the catch was abundant, he says. Then the catch declined, for several reasons, first and foremost being the rampant illegal fishing in the area, including dynamite, cyanide, and compressor fishing. Then, the big commercial fishing boats began showing up in the '90s, and would often violate ordinances banning them from the locality's municipal waters, providing artisanal handline fishermen like Bollosa with stiff competition. "Sometimes, just going out to fish, you're already losing money," he recalls. "You're not sure if you'll catch anything, and you're already spending for gasoline. I would worry about that all the time."

Now, Bollosa can worry a little less, not just because his children are almost done with their schooling, but because support has come in the form of a partnership among the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), local government, and private funders who are investing in Lagonoy Gulf's fisheries to develop a new source of tuna, a globally prized marine resource. In the process, handline fishermen are getting a boost to their livelihood, as well as institutionalized encouragement to carry on with their traditional sustainable ways.

Tabaco City and the neighboring municipality of Tiwi are project sites for the Partnership Programme Towards Sustainable Tuna (PPTST), a collaboration established in 2011 among WWF and private partners under the WWF Coral Triangle Programme and focusing on tuna fishery improvement in the Lagonoy Gulf, which covers Tiwi's coastal waters. The project is funded by the German Investment and Development Agency (DEG), with support from Bell Seafood, Coop Switzerland, and Sea Fresh.

"This is a market-driven approach to fisheries management, looking at it from the perspective of the supply chain," says Coral Triangle Programme Tuna Strategy Leader Jose "Jingles" Ingles. "We're not just looking at the governance of fisheries on the ground and in the water, but we also solicit complementary help from the market forces to drive fisheries to become sustainable."

Ever since WWF came with their information and education campaigns, Bollosa says, "They were able to focus on us and train us to preserve the fish and keep its quality longer. Before, it was a matter of catching as much as you can, and not caring about other fishermen. It was like a competition. We should help each other, and look at what's best for everyone."

At the peak of the fishing season, the fishers of Tabaco and Tiwi can earn as much as 20,000 pesos (about US$480) a week, which they must manage prudently until the next abundant season. Fishermen like Andres Dacullo of Barangay Putsan in Tiwi take on other jobs to tide them over, like construction work. Ruben Botalon of Barangay San Roque in Tabaco plows the extra money he and his son Rico make from tuna fishing into the family's small sari-sari (sundries) store, stocked with basics like rice, canned goods, and even nylon string for handlines and bait for fishermen's hooks.

With his earnings, Bollosa built a small concrete house for his family, and established a small piggery in his backyard, managed by his wife Leonilda. Any extra money goes to buying pigs, which can sell at a hundred pesos a kilo; when a pig grows to 80 kg after about three months of care, the couple can sell it for 8,000 pesos. With only two children left without college educations, the Bollosas can breathe a little easier. "Now, when we're short, it's our kids working in Manila who send us money," Leonilda says.

Bollosa says that constant vigilance by the local Bantay Dagat (sea patrol) is essential to keep commercial fishermen out of Tabaco's waters. That's the job of Jose Condat, known as Manoy Joe (older brother Joe), 64, a fisherman from Barangay Putsan in Tiwi, Albay who works as a volunteer with the local Bantay Dagat.

A fisherman since 1963, Condat has seen first-hand how the entry of commercial fleets and the rise of illegal fishing have jeopardized local fishermen's livelihoods. "Before commercial fishing, there was a lot to catch," he recounts. "Then when they came, using cyanide and dynamite, the fish started dying. We couldn't do anything because we were not organized."

That's why Condat, who has seven children, and has also sent some of them to school in Manila with his earnings from tuna fishing, became active in such groups as the Lagonoy Gulf Small Fishermen Federation and the Small Fishermen's Association of Putsan, while serving as vice chairman of the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (MFARMC) organized by the local government. It's the Bantay Dagat's job to make sure unregistered fishermen and unlicensed boats stay out of Tiwi's waters.

He's doing all this mainly for his grandchildren, Manoy Joe says. "For now, at my age, I pray that I can stay strong longer so I can help more people and help improve fishermen's lives. That's why we work in the Bantay Dagat, even without a salary—so we can safeguard the sea's resources for the next generation."

Text by Alya Honasan

Seabird sanctuary: on the wings of change

2012-07-17

By Gregg Yan

The combined stench of rotting fish and guano is incredible.

Soaked and shivering, we shelter beneath a dripping grove of Argusia trees on Tubbataha's South Islet and count birds. Chilly raindrops are the least of our concerns – more exciting things are falling from above. I wipe steaming gobs of fresh seabird guano from my hat, shoulders and writing slate then trail my partner through the dense brush.

"Nine Black Noddies in five tree nests," observes my partner, Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) Ranger Segundo 'Seconds' Conales. I strain to hear above the cacophony of over 20,000 seabirds, periodically silenced by resounding claps of thunder. The birds are everywhere – flitting in and out of foliage, perched atop rocks, forming a dense cloud above the island. Every few seconds, one leaves the safety of its perch to snatch a damp twig, leaf or piece of plastic from the ground. We tread lightly, visions of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds springing to mind. I jot the latest numbers on my waterproof plastic slate and push on.

It is a drizzling day in May and we are back in Tubbataha. Led by Danish ornithologist Dr. Arne Erik Jensen, we are assessing the seabirds of Tubbataha North and South Islets as part of a nine-year old annual initiative by the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to conserve the birds of the Sulu Sea. I had last been back in 2008 and still recalled Dr. Jensen's advice when counting his beloved birds.

"Never look up with your mouth open."

Tale of Two Islets

At the heart of the Sulu Sea lie the twin atolls of Tubbataha, a spectacular world brimming with wealth both beneath and beyond the blue. Borne of geological action but restrained by the vicissitudes of the sea, the two isles form the Philippines' last great seabird rookery.

In 1911, American naturalist Dean Worcester first set foot on Tubbataha North Islet, also called Bird Islet. It was then a barren sandy island of 60,000sq m, where sea and sand danced ceaselessly. A hundred one years later, the isle has shrunk to 12,435sq m but now hosts over 200 trees, the tallest shredded by a recent boom of Red-footed Boobies. At the centre lies the Plaza – a 3690sq m open area occupied by ground-breeding birds. The scrubby landscape rises no higher than two metres above the sea.

Parola or South Islet is much smaller, at 3140sq m. A metre-high concrete wall, cracked and pitted by the elements, forms a protective ring against erosion, while a solar-powered lighthouse erected in 1980 by the Philippine Coast Guard stands sentinel over everything. About 120 Argusia, Pisonia and coconut trees dot the grassy landscape. East of the lighthouse lies the rusting hulk of the Del San, an old log carrier. Protected as a core zone, WWF and Cebu Pacific help TMO in keeping both islands completely off-limits to outsiders.

"The isles vary in size each year, for the tide reclaims what geology has proffered. Tubbataha is thus constantly reborn," says TMO Park Manager Angelique Songco. "Ecologists working in mountains or forests can wait a lifetime to see the kind of habitat change we observe monthly." I agree, noting that since 2008, trees with back-row views now had front- row seats to the sea.

Holding Out

Prior to the Second World War, seabirds were common throughout Southeast Asia. But four years of ferocious fighting followed by 60 years of extensive human encroachment and marine pollution have taken their toll. Remnant populations have since retreated to a few isolated holdouts like Tubbataha, where the lack of freshwater bars the intrusion of predators like cats, rats and people.

When cats were introduced on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic over a century ago, bird numbers dropped from 20 million to 400,000. Guam has already lost 60% of its bird species due largely to the introduction of a slithering slayer, the Brown Tree Snake. Other threats include marine pollution, hunting, land development and climate change.

"Six seabird species breed here, distinguished by where they nest," whispers Seconds as we low-crawl to photograph a cackling colony of Great Crested Terns. "Ground nesters include the Brown Booby, Brown Noddy, Great Crested Tern and Sooty Tern while tree nesters include the Red-footed Booby and the endemic Black Noddy. Each has a distinct personality."

The trip's top priority was to monitor populations of the Black Noddy, a pigeon-like seabird whose 8000-strong Philippine subspecies survives solely in Tubbataha. Still, we count 3224 nests and 5324 screeching adults on Parola alone.

"Though still numerous here, Black Noddies no longer have alternate sites to breed. They are suffering from a housing crisis," gestures WWF Tubbataha Project Manager Marivel Dygico to a Pisonia tree bursting with both Red-footed Boobies and Black Noddies. In 2001, Tubbataha saw a massive influx of Red-footed Boobies, which nest in the same trees as the Noddies.

"The problem is that large flocks of Red-footed Boobies can defoliate whole islands. They tear off leaves for nesting and burn what greens remain with their guano. In seven to ten years, all of Parola's trees might be gone – unless we control the birds now." Leafless, some trees on the smaller South Islet are now also lifeless.

Wings of Change

Seabirds play a crucial role in fighting climate change, particularly the threat of rising sea levels, by helping develop island ecosystems. They provide vital fertilizer for nutrient-poor sandbars, allowing the first waves of pioneer plants to survive. Drifting in from nearby islets, seeds of trees eventually take root – further binding the sand, increasing land size and trapping organic sediments – the first steps in producing soil.

Fossilized bird droppings also form Phosphorite, a type of rock used for agricultural fertilizer. Phosphoritedeposits have for centuries been mined on small islands and is now of great value for food production.

After three days of research under the scorch of sun, the chill of rain and omnipresence of guano, we record a grand tally of 30,100 breeding birds – the highest ever recorded. In comparison, 24,300 were counted last year and 28,000 in 2010. It is estimated that from March to November, an additional 14,000 seabirds roost on Bancauan, Bancoran, Cawili and Basterra Isles – the main hub still being Tubbataha.

* **
Ablaze with sunset hues of scarlet and crimson, Bird Islet descends into night. As the isle prepares for a fresh cycle of rebirth, I whip out my camera and snap a picture of four boobies against the red sky. One soars off and leaves behind a lone egg, bearing a world of promise. Staring at the speckled orb, I consider what Jensen told me that morning.

"Tubbataha is the last refuge for many Philippine seabirds. Islands like Bancauan and Cawili once had thousands of them. When people came, they brought with them dogs, rats and cats – all of which eat both ground-breeding birds and their eggs. Today Bancauan only has eight Brown Boobies – and 25 very fat cats."

Before it was declared a National Marine Park in 1988, Tubbataha's residents had long suffered from exploitation, with generations of fishermen gathering not just fish, but turtles and bird eggs as well. Without continued protection, the sun would probably set permanently on the Black Noddies, Brown Boobies and Tubbataha's many other winged treasures.

Glancing a last time at the dying rays of the sun, I wish the unborn bird luck – and pray that its kind, which has long endured sea-storms and summers for centuries – can weather the winds of change too.

Gillard Government Rio+20 oceans announcement a welcome investment in protection for Coral Triangle and Pacific

2012-06-25

WWF-Australia today applauded the Australian Government for committing an additional $8 million towards the Coral Triangle Initiative and up to $25 million to the Pacific Oceanscape Framework.

The extra funding, announced by Prime Minister Gillard at the Rio+20 summit, will assist countries across the Asia Pacific to improve the management of their oceans and coast.

WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O'Gorman said the announcement was a welcome investment in the region.

"Last week's commitment to a national system of marine protected areas set an important example to the world," Mr O'Gorman said.

"This further announcement is a serious commitment from Australia to support the goals of the Rio+20 meeting and help re-focus the world's attention on the health of our oceans, and the need to invest in their conservation."

"Australia has developed world-class marine science and management expertise over many years and we hope this announcement will enable a greater sharing of that knowledge with our region.

"WWF further hopes that the vital role that the health of marine and coastal ecosystems play in supporting the livelihoods of billions of people around the world and hundreds of millions in our region is recognised strongly in the Rio +20 meeting."

The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security was formed in 2009 by the six Coral Triangle governments. WWF is one of seven Development Partners that provide ongoing support to the Initiative.

Located in the waters off the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, the Coral Triangle is the world's marine life hotspot. It contains the highest diversity of iridescent corals, fish, crustaceans, molluscs and marine plant species on Earth.

The Pacific Oceanscape Framework aims to protect, manage, maintain and sustain the cultural and natural integrity of the Pacific Islands Ocean Region.

Coral Triangle hosts dazzling web of life

2012-06-12

WWF's Coral Triangle Director Catherine Plume recounts her incredible evening during a firefly river cruise in Donsol, Philippines:

"I arrived at the riverside just at dusk. The world was already casting its magical evening spell. As we pulled away from the pier, we fell captive to the tranquility of the night. Heading upriver we nestled into our life jackets and left the city lights behind.

The night itself was spectacular – no moon, a million stars, the hush of the river with only the sound of the sputtering motor as we glided along. Soon we cut power and our boatman poled us toward shore.

As we neared the riverbank, I began to discern a faint twinkling in the trees. The flashing became more intense until it became a swirl of tiny rotating lights – fireflies! But, these were like no fireflies I'd ever seen: flashing both on their own and also together. The sight was mesmerizing – like watching a string of tiny white Christmas lights dance dizzyingly. As you looked up into the trees, it was hard to tell stars from fireflies. As if anticipating our desire to see them closer up, more than one firefly broke away from its dance and flew toward us.

As we marveled at the firefly dance, our boatman softly said, "Now put your hand in the water"...and we did, expecting just to feel the river's warmth compared to the now chilly night air. But instead, we were met with yet another treat – a bioluminescence created by our fingers as they moved through the water.

The impact was immediate. We spoke in hushed tones – but not much at all – not wanting to scare away the exceptionality of this moment. Our boat moved slowly upriver to an even larger swarm of fireflies. We marveled again at the sheer beauty and let our eyes go from the stars to the fireflies to the glowing water trailing our hands.

After a while, the boat turned around and we headed back toward the light of the far off bridge and pier. It was an oddly melancholy trip back down the river, and I had a sense that I was leaving behind something very special that I really wasn't sure I would ever encounter again. A trifecta of nature's sparkledom left twinkling on the river."

The fireflies Cathy witnessed congregate in huge colonies to feed in mangrove trees along the riverbanks. Mangroves keep the rivers healthy and release important nutrients into the water. These nutrient-rich waters feed microscopic plankton, which create the bioluminescence Cathy observed. Out where the river meets the bay of Donsol, large masses of plankton can be found. These attract hungry whale sharks, which gather in schools to feed on the plankton.

Donsol attracts huge numbers of whale sharks compared to other places in the world, and locals benefit from the booming tourism industry. WWF has helped with whale shark tourism since 1998, which has created jobs and provided a seasonal but steady source of income.

In 2011, WWF spearheaded an effort to plant 10,000 mangrove seedlings to enhance and protect habitat shared by fireflies and whale sharks. By restoring mangrove forests, WWF keeps rivers healthy, ensures habitat for fireflies and food for whale sharks. In turn, fireflies and whale sharks attract tourists – just one way WWF is working to create harmony between people and nature.

Fireflies light up the forest as whale sharks dazzle in adjacent waters. How fitting that the markings of the whale shark almost perfectly mirror the twinkling of fireflies against the black night sky.

as told to Molly Edmonds, WWF-US

Big investments needed in Asia-Pacific's dwindling natural capital

2012-06-05

Manila, Philippines – Booming economic development and per-capita consumption across the Asia-Pacific region is burning up more natural resources than are available, placing enormous pressure on the region's already heavily taxed forests, rivers and oceans, says a new WWF report on the value of Asia's natural capital.

Produced in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific report – a regional perspective on elements of the recently-released Living Planet Report – focuses on attainable methods of preserving key regional ecosystems including the unique forests of Borneo, the marine wealth of the Coral Triangle, the Mekong region's diverse habitats, as well as the mountainous Eastern Himalayas.

Open publication

"Across the Asia-Pacific region, the gap between human demand for natural resources and the environment's ability to replenish those resources is widening," said WWF's Director General Jim Leape. "In 2008, the natural resources available per person, in places as diverse as the Eastern Himalayas and Mekong river basin, shrunk by about two thirds compared to 1970. Tragically, the rate of species loss was about twice the global average over this period," he added.

The new report uses the Living Planet Index (LPI) to measure changes in the health of ecosystems across the Asia-Pacific region. The global index fell by 28 per cent from 1970 and 2008, while the Indo-Pacific region saw a shocking 64 per cent decline in key populations of species over the same period.

"The Indo-Pacific realm has undergone the most rapid economic and demographic transition of any region in the world since 1970," said Jonathan Loh from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the organization that keeps track of the index. "Across most of tropical Asia and the Pacific, the population grew from about 1.2 billion to 2.6 billion, which is alone enough to double the pressures placed on the area's natural resources. Coupled with the dramatic increase in per capita consumption across the entire Asia-Pacific region, it becomes clear that reversing this downward trend needs systemic changes to our economies and the way we produce and consume natural resources," he added.

Asia's biggest footprints: the individual and the nation

Australia, Singapore, Mongolia, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and China round out the top 10 Ecological Footprints per capita in the Asia-Pacific region.

Asia-Pacific residents still consume on average close to 60 per cent less than the global average of over one and half planets per person, but major disparities exist. The per-capita Ecological Footprint of Australia, for example, is the highest in the region – 14 times larger than Timor-Leste.

From a national level, China has the largest footprint of all the countries of Asia and the Pacific, due to its large population. China and India, the report says, are likely to experience the greatest increase in overall Ecological Footprint by 2015, representing 37 per cent of the projected global footprint.

"Over the next 20 years, hundreds of millions of new consumers will be added to those already living in Asia and the Pacific today – driving up demand for energy, food, metals, and water," said Jim Leape. "We need to create mechanisms that make protecting those resources the right economic choice for the communities that use and depend on them."

Regional solutions for the health of the planet

The Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific report outlines four key solutions that are working to reverse the declining Living Planet Index in four major regions: the Heart of Borneo, the Coral Triangle, the Greater Mekong sub-region and the Eastern Himalayas. All of these areas are extremely important as they provide millions of people with food, water and energy – and harbour countless valuable species of plants and animals.

Policies that recognize the importance of the environment early on in the planning process is one part of the equation, says the report, as are well-funded and monitored marine and terrestrial protected areas. Payment for ecosystem services under programmes such as REDD also play an important role, as do private-sector sustainability initiatives. For example, many businesses in the region are already showing how sustainably produced commodities – including cotton, soy, palm oil, fish and timber – bring big gains for people and also the environment.

"We must move toward deeper structural and systemic change in the way goods are manufactured and services provided," said ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda. "The green economy itself can become an engine of growth and the driver for a new generation of green jobs—bringing a higher quality of life."

Rio+20

Released on World Environment Day and only three weeks before the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific report presents a solution-oriented look at what leaders attending the Earth Summit need to focus on most – reconfirming their commitment to creating a sustainable future.

"The challenges presented in the Asia-Pacific footprint report show us that we are living beyond our means. But it also clearly identifies attainable solutions that build on the strength of partnerships at local, regional and international levels," said Leape. "Rio+20 offers governments, businesses and civil society a unique opportunity to develop even more innovative solutions to ensuring we preserve the natural wealth of our planet," he added.

ADB and WWF have worked in partnership since 2001 on mainstreaming environment in development and supporting the countries of Asia and the Pacific in conserving their natural capital.

Filipinos learn to rescue whales, dolphins

2012-05-22

Swimming at the beach, you quickly notice something huge thrashing in the water. Panic vanishes as you realize it is a whale, stranded by the tide. What do you do?

To address rising incidents of whale and dolphin strandings, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) recently conducted a two-day cetacean stranding rescue workshop at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas. Over 40 staff and officers from Hamilo Coast underwent classroom and field sessions on cetacean biology, identification, threats, conservation and actual rescue techniques.

"Few Filipinos realize that whales are found right here in the Philippines," explains WWF-Philippines Hamilo Coast Project Manager Paolo Pagaduan. "Training local residents to rescue cetaceans far more than ensures the safety of stranded whales and dolphins – it cultivates their natural sense of stewardship."

Cetaceans include all whale, dolphin and porpoise species, divided by type: Odontocetes or toothed whales feed primarily on fish and squid. Mysticetes or baleen whales have fringed strips of hair-like plates in place of teeth and feed primarily on plankton, krill and tiny fish. Twenty eight – a full third of all known species – have been recorded in Philippine waters as of 2012.

Hamilo Coast has since 2007 been working closely with WWF to restore and protect the degraded coastlines and marine resources of Nasugbu, Batangas. The 8000-hectare eco-tourism project has fused tourism with sustainable land development by balancing conservation and land conversion.

Whale and Dolphin Strandings in the Philippines

Each year, thousands of cetacean strandings are reported worldwide. Some die at sea and wash ashore, while others become trapped in shallow water. Left unaided, many die within a day or two.

About a dozen stranding events are reported in the Philippines yearly, most occurring during the Amihan or north-eastern monsoon from November to March. During this period, strong winds generate stronger-than-usual currents.

WWF-Philippines Vice-Chair and CEO Lory Tan says, "Our priority should be to return stranded cetaceans to their natural habitats as soon as possible. WWF conducts these workshops so local leaders know just what to do."

Cetacean stranding causes include the presence or a lack of food, predators, stress, injuries, disease, pollution, rough seas, tidal fluctuations, undersea quakes, seismic testing, blast fishing or the disruption of magnetic fields used by some cetaceans for navigation.

On 10 December 2009, a stranded 29-foot Bryde's Whale (Baleanoptera edeni) was towed and set-free by locals in nearby Barangay Calayo, Nasugbu.

On 10 February 2009, 300 Melon-headed Whales (Peponocephala electra) were stranded off the towns of Pilar and Orion in Bataan, in the largest recorded stranding event in Philippine history. Three of the whales died but the majority were herded to deeper waters by volunteers.

On 3 March 2009, another pod of 100 Melon-headed Whales was ushered back to deeper waters in Odiongan, Romblon.

"When I was young, beached dolphins used to be slaughtered for meat," recounts Hamilo Coast Security Officer and Barangay Calayo resident Zaldy Flores. "The skills shared by WWF have given us both the competence and confidence to deal with future strandings. We're now ready to rescue all stranded whales and dolphins in Nasugbu."

Batangas Volunteer Saves Hundreds of Dolphins, Turtles

"You don't have to be a doctor or a vet to save lives," explains WWF Hero of the Environment and dolphin mural painter AG Saño. "Jessie De Los Reyes, a Bantay Dagat or Sea Patrol volunteer based in Calatagan, Batangas, was able to rescue and release hundreds of sea turtles, dolphins, sharks and even a large whale because he attended a workshop like this. If one person can do this, imagine what can happen if all 40 people here emulate him."

Led by WWF-Philippines CEO Lory Tan, author of the multi-awarded book, 'A Field Guide to Whales and Dolphins in the Philippines', the training team was composed of Paolo Pagaduan, AG Saño, Marlyn Santiago, Vanessa Vergara, Joanne Arnaldo and Gregg Yan.

WWF has been collaborating with leading Filipino marine mammal experts and conservationists to conduct marine mammal training programs with local governments, coastal communities and private sector allies since 1997.

So what to do in a stranding situation? "Immediately contact WWF-Philippines, the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines or local authorities. WWF-Philippines alone has a 25,000-strong following on Facebook and pools volunteer experts from a wide range of disciplines to accomplish conservation goals. We're just a Facebook message or a text away," says Pagaduan.

"All Pinoys can do their part," shares Saño. "When at the beach, throw your trash in bins. Here and abroad, never order whale or dolphin meat. Finally, we call on everyone to boycott dolphin shows. If you love dolphins, then please watch them in the wild. Palawan, Bohol, the Tañon Strait and the Davao Gulf are excellent places to see them in their natural element." (30)

For more information, contact:

Gregg Yan, Communications and Media Manager, WWF-Philippines
+63 917 833 4734, gyan@wwf.org.ph

WWF and partners celebrate Coral Triangle Day on June 9

2012-05-16

WWF and its partners are celebrating the first-ever Coral Triangle Day on June 9 at several locations around the Coral Triangle region to highlight the importance of marine conservation and to raise awareness on this global center of marine biodiversity.

An interpretation of World Oceans Day in this part of the world, the Coral Triangle Day brings together individuals, organizations, and establishments from different parts of the region on one special day to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of this region and to promote the importance of oceans through varied activities including: beach clean-ups; sustainable seafood dinners; educational exhibitions; marine-themed bazaars; and beach parties.

"WWF, along with its partners are encouraging everyone to do one special thing, no matter how small, that will contribute to saving the Coral Triangle and let the world know how we care about it by sharing it on the Coral Triangle online platform www.thecoraltriangle.com/day," says Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader.

The Coral Triangle is a six million square-kilometer ocean expanse that contains the highest number of reef building corals on the planet. Its spectacular coral reefs systems are home to thousands of whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, and six of the world's seven species of marine turtles.

Spanning across six countries in Asia and the Pacific including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is also a nursery ground for highly valuable tuna species and much sought-after reef fish species. It directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people who heavily depend on marine resources for food and income.

However, coastal development, destructive fishing, overfishing, unsustainable tourism, the illegal harvest and trade of endangered species, and climate change, among many others, are taking a heavy toll on this fragile marine ecosystem.

The Coral Triangle Day, envisioned to be an annual, open-sourced event, hopes to empower individuals to take specific action to help protect and conserve this globally-significant marine ecoregion.

"This unprecedented event aims to build a critical mass of supporters for the Coral Triangle on different levels of society by using a fun and exciting way for people in this part of the world to learn more about the significance of oceans," adds Pet-Soede.

Individuals, organizations, and establishments celebrating the Coral Triangle Day are encouraged to post their videos or photos on www.thecoraltriangle.com/day to show the world what they are doing for the oceans during this day and to help create a truly regional community of Coral Triangle supporters.

For more information on the Coral Triangle, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com. For more information on the Coral Triangle Day, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com/day

For further information:
Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, +603 7803 3772, pmangahas@wwf.org.my

Invest in the future of the Coral Triangle

2011-11-03

Jakarta, Indonesia - The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has launched a new regional campaign that encourages individuals to buy virtual property across the Coral Triangle, the world's center of marine life.

The innovative online MyCoralTriangle campaign will make ample use of social media, a series of print advertisements, and a 30-second television commercial that will lead online audiences to www.panda.org/mycoraltriangle, where they can buy a "spot" in the Coral Triangle for just US$5.

The money raised will go towards WWF's ongoing efforts to conserve the region's spectacular environment in protected areas including Wakatobi and Semporna.

The Coral Triangle encompasses Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor L'Este. It is home to 6 of the world's 7 species of marine turtles, and a place where whales, dolphins, dugongs, and the world's largest fish, the whaleshark, live.

More than 120 million people also depend heavily on the region's marine resources for food and income.

"The Coral Triangle is where a big portion of the world's tuna supply comes from. From here, tuna finds its way to local markets and also on to your dinner table. It's very likely that the seafood you enjoy at your favorite restaurants comes from the Coral Triangle, as it is home to thousands of the world's reef fish species," said Dr Lida Pet-Soede, Head of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme.

"For as little as US$5 - the price of a cup of coffee or an afternoon meal – supporters can invest in the future of the Coral Triangle, a region facing serious challenges including overfishing and climate change," added Dr Pet-Soede.

Why we need your commitment: growing challenges

Located in the heart of Asia Pacific's rapidly expanding economies, the Coral Triangle is facing incredible pressure from the region's growing financial clout.

Increasing demands for food means that fishing boats are extracting tuna and reef fish out of the sea faster than populations can replenish themselves, and many are caught using highly damaging practices.

People are also feeling the crunch, with climate change now dramatically altering the lives of millions of people.

"The Coral Triangle is a place the world simply cannot do without. We urgently need your support to protect the future of this globally-significant ecoregion," said Dr Pet-Soede.

MyCoralTriangle will be simultaneously launched on 3 November in four pilot markets: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia and driven by the WWF national offices in these countries.

The campaign has been developed through partnership of the WWF Coral Triangle Program and Dentsu Asia, together with WWF-Hong Kong, WWF-Indonesia, WWF-Malaysia, WWF-Philippines and the Asia Pacific Growth Team (APGT), with the support of WWF International.

Visit www.panda.org/mycoraltriangle now and invest in your future.

Vibrancy of Coral Triangle captured in new WWF book

2011-10-27

Jakarta, Indonesia - The stunning results of an unprecedented photojournalistic expedition have been released in the new book The Coral Triangle, a 272-page masterwork of images and essays that showcase the incredible diversity of people, places and species living amidst the world's richest marine environment.

Implemented by WWF and the Freund Factory, the 18-month journey took wildlife photographers Jürgen Freund and Stella Chiu-Freund across the Coral Triangle, a 6 million km2 expanse of land and sea that encompasses Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

"The goal of the Coral Triangle expedition was to demonstrate the connectivity between the wildlife and peoples of the region, the threats they face, and the partners working together to help protect this world's centre of marine life" said Dr. Lida Pet-Soede, Head of WWF's Coral Triangle Programme.

"We wanted the world to sit up and take notice, so we commissioned one of the world's best wildlife photographic teams to embark on this challenging journey," Dr. Pet-Soede added.

The book includes over 400 stunning photographs that highlight the region's extraordinary abundance of life – coral reefs, whales, dolphins, sharks and a brilliant kaleidoscope of reef fish interspersed with essays on the Coral Triangle by conservation experts from around the world.

"Beauty is everywhere in this fragile marine environment, from the birds to the smallest creature underwater. And despite all that is being asked of it, this phenomenal place that is the Coral Triangle still holds wealth of unimaginable proportions," remarked Stella Freund.

"Many places we visited in the Coral Triangle were small islands packed with people. Fishermen are everywhere we have been, and their lives, as well as the lives of their wives and children, are inextricably linked with the sea. The sea feeds all—and the sea is under so much pressure," observed Stella Freund.

"The Coral Triangle is brimming with marine life but is struggling to support human demands on its finite resources. If this level of unsustainable consumption is not urgently curbed, millions of people whose lives directly depend on the sea will soon be compromised," adds Dr. Pet-Soede.

During the release event in Jakarta, the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) announced a selection of notable achievements over the past year, including the CTI-CFF website, CTI Learning Network Portal, and the CTI-CFF History Book. The Coral Triangle has been published by the WWF, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Freund Factory.

The Coral Triangle will be available in selected WWF offices in the coming weeks, including Australia, Hong Kong, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, USA, and the UK.

Please refer to the Coral Triangle book webpage at www.panda.org/coraltriangle/photobook for updates on the book's price and availablity.

More investment key to protecting Coral Triangle

2011-10-12

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Innovative incentives and increased investment from the private sector are crucial for the long-term health of the Coral Triangle region and the millions of people that depend on the marine environment for their livelihoods, says WWF.

The remarks came during the Coral Triangle Initiative Regional Business Forum 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, which closed on 11 October after 2 days of deliberations over how the private and public sectors can work together to protect the world's most diverse marine ecosystem.

"We are already seeing some encouraging sustainable and responsible initiatives take hold in Coral Triangle region, particularly in the form of public-private partnerships," says Dr. Lida Pet-Soede Leader of the Coral Triangle Initiative.

Among the several public-private partnerships recognized at the forum is a multi-stakeholder collaboration between Coop/Bell Seafood of Switzerland, Seafresh of The Netherlands, the Government of Germany, the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and WWF-Philippines on a project to improve the management of tuna handline fisheries.

"While many business-backed initiatives are showing that there is a way forward, a lot more effort needs to go into assessing food security for the whole Coral Triangle. Action on this front would allow more room for investment and the creation of enabling government policies to address long-term aspects of food security throughout the region. Furthermore, it could inform development and innovation in technology to improve food security where it matters most," added Dr. Pet-Soede.

A total of six nations make up the Coral Triangle – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

Global Biodiversity Hub
A 10-year marine conservation initiative for the Coral Triangle was also announced at the forum, a move that is expected to infuse RM1.5 billion (US$475 million) into the regional economy and create 2,900 new jobs up to the year 2020.

The Malaysian National News agency Bernama reported that Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman made the announcement in the Malaysian capital on the first day of the forum.

The new plan would see the creation of a Global Biodiversity Hub (GBH) in Sabah, Malaysia, which will help coordinate the sustainable development of marine resources within the Coral Triangle by working with the region's broad community of fishermen and seeking to improve the livelihoods of farmers.

Over 70 per cent of the funding for the estimated RM$896 million (US$284 million) GBH will come from the private sector.

"[The Coral Triangle] is...home to over 3,000 species of reef fish and refuge for six of the world's seven species of marine turtles," said Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

"We must be mindful of the negative repercussions, including loss of income and reliable food supply, for the over 120 million people who depend on resources within the [Coral Triangle]," he added.

The Chief Minister also added that estimates of the total monetary value of the region's natural marine habitats amounted to at around US$2.3 billion yearly in terms of fisheries, tourism and other related activities.

Sabah is the only Malaysian state in located within the Coral Triangle. It is also part of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region.

ENDS
-----------------
Notes to editors

♣    The Coral Triangle includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. With 5.7 million square kilometers of critical ocean and terrestrial ecosystems, the Coral Triangle supports the world's highest concentration of marine biodiversity. It provides livelihoods for 240 million people and food security for millions more. The area is threatened by over-fishing and destructive fishing practices, land and sea-based pollution, and significant climate change impacts.
♣    The Coral Triangle is home to 76% of the world's known coral species, 37% of the world's coral reef fish species, and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, including 6 of the world's 7 known species of marine turtles.
♣    The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin a growing tourism sector.
♣    WWF is working with governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers to promote sustainable development in this region. For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

For further information:

Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, Tel: +603 7803 3772, Email: pmangahas@wwf.org.my

More investment key to protecting Coral Triangle

2011-10-12

Coral Triangle businesses partner for conservation breakthroughs

2011-10-07

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Hundreds of business, government and civil society leaders will come together for the Coral Triangle Initiative Regional Business Forum next week and take serious steps towards protecting the world's most diverse marine environment.

Held from October 10 – 11 in Kuala Lumpur, the forum will broadly address Innovative Solutions Today for Sustainable Resources Tomorrow in the 6 Coral Triangle nations - Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste.

"Strong public and private partnerships are vital for a healthy Coral Triangle, a marine environment on which over 120 million people depend," said Dr Lida Pet-Soede, leader of the Coral Triangle Initiative.

"Long term solutions that support responsible fishing practices, such as the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort's partnership with the local community to protect endangered dugongs in Sabah, Malaysia, for example, are the kind of forward-looking solutions that the Coral Triangle needs," Dr. Pet-Soede added.

Hosted by the Government of Malaysia with support from USAID's US CTI Support Program and WWF, the forum will host over 200 representatives from international businesses such as Google USA, Nokia, Shangri-La Hotels, TESCO chain stores, Frost & Sullivan, and Wind Wheel Tree Turbines.

A complete programme and list of participating speakers is available on the forum's website, http://www.ctibusinessforum2011.com.

Coral Triangle governments are expected to announce new public-private partnerships in multiple business sectors including ecotourism, commercial fisheries, and energy management.

Climate-proofing tomorrow's cities, today

2011-09-28

On a hellish September week two years ago, millions of Filipinos were literally up to their necks in misery. Typhoon Ondoy, labelled by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) spokesman Nathaniel Cruz as a 'possible manifestation of climate change', brought Metro Manila its highest amount of rainfall in the past 42 years.

It took the lives of 246 people but taught survivors and the country a crucial lesson – climate change is real and lives lost will be part of the tally of its costs.

"Climate change shall continue even if we stop all our carbon emissions tomorrow. It takes 40 years for its momentum to grind to a halt. Given this, what should we do?" asks WWF-Philippines Climate Change Director Gia Ibay. "The solution lies in Climate Adaptation – preparing for pronounced climate change effects by adjusting the way we run our businesses and live our lives."

Since September 2010, the WWF and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) have been conducting intensive baseline studies to help Philippine cities adapt to climate change. WWF and BPI's Business Risk Assessment and Adaptation Study covers four cities at risk from increased storms, floods, drought and other extreme climate events – Davao, Cebu, Iloilo and Baguio.

The study combines baseline data findings with stakeholder inputs from scenario-building exercises conducted per site and shall form the basis for each city's localized adaptation strategy. More studies may soon cover other Philippine cities.

Climate-proofing

WWF recommends revamping and 'climate-proofing' local infrastructure – moving coastal roads and communities to higher ground, improving community drainage systems and investing in natural solutions like mangrove forests to parry inbound storms.

WWF-Philippines Vice-Chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan said, "Climate adaptation is a phenomenal business opportunity: after Typhoon Ondoy, land-developers started offering flood-proof townhouses and condotel units. They are thinking ahead – and this saves money."

WWF says that though revamping infrastructure may cost millions today, it will cost tens of billions 50 years down the line. By thinking ahead, market leaders secure the profitability necessary for business sustainability.

Meeting climate change head-on

Hundreds of guests attended the four stakeholder workshops, the last one being completed in Baguio City on 21 September. Stakeholder feedback was largely positive. Pepito Capuli from the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said "The activity gave me new insights in giving emphasis on climate change preparations."

BPI Foundation Executive Director Florendo Maranan said, "This is our way of helping partner communities adapt to the coming storm. In one scenario, we see the country losing space, food and water. In another, we see our countrymen meeting climate change head-on."

In 2009, WWF launched The Coral Triangle and Climate Change: Ecosystems, People and Societies at Risk – a report based on a thorough consideration of the climate biology, economics and social characteristics of the immediate environs of the Philippines – showing how unchecked climate change will ultimately undermine and destroy local ecosystems and livelihoods.

Vulnerable to climate change

The Philippines has one of the longest non-continuous coastlines in the world which makes it especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Warming temperatures might force up to 30 per cent of all known species into extinction. It is also situated within an area that is vulnerable to increasingly violent storms.

"Imagine the sea inexorably creeping inland to submerge farms and homes. Heavier droughts will suck our soil dry to desiccate our rice and sugarcane fields. Hotter days will drive people up mountain communities like Baguio", warned Tan. "Remember that even if you live in a climate-proof area – people from afflicted cities will run to you."

"We must act today to create safe and livable cities tomorrow. There's only one thing better than dreaming of a climate-proof community – and that's building it."

The great Coral Triangle treasure hunt

2011-06-08

This tale is fraught with sharks and treasure, pirates and poachers, with strife and solutions. So don your gear and dive with me, as we go on a little treasure hunt.

"Apo Reef is the Jewel of Mindoro," said former Sablayan Mayor Godofreido Mintu over a seafood dinner the night before. "Perhaps you may come to realize just what its treasure is, but only after you dive." Fuelled by a lifelong fascination with both pirate lore and bizarre quests, the old man's words struck home.

So now, surrounded by a plethora of undersea life 65 feet below the eastern face of Apo Isle in Occidental Mindoro, I pray to Poseidon and secretly assign myself a treasure hunt – a quest to find the true 'jewels' of the deep. Not real jewels, of course – but whatever makes this area unique. Through the years, I've endured enough trips to unearth everything from bargain sports goods to the comics of a forgotten age, so this quest feels strangely familiar.

Seven-strong for luck, both our WWF dive column and my thoughts drift leisurely, propelled alongside a heavily encrusted sea wall by invisible ocean currents. My attention shifts to the wall, where a neon-hued array of fairy basslets frolic amidst the swaying tips of crimson gorgonians. I peer in to inspect their knobby rows of polyps, careful not to touch anything, Leave No Trace (LNT) principles of primary importance.

A minute later, an impossibly huge school of Yellow-dashed Fusilier (Pterocaesio randalli) appears from beneath. I try to estimate their number but simply cannot – they coalesce into a single mass which fills my vision end to end. In a moment they are gone, and I am left looking down into the blue.

This truly is Poseidon's realm. Consider that 71% of the Earth is covered in water, and 97% of all this forms its vast oceans. Covering just 1% of the ocean floor, coral reefs host an incredible variety of life: one in four marine creatures live within these undersea oases – and nowhere are these more beautiful and productive than in the wondrous Pacific archipelago known as the Philippines.

The Origin of Life and Legend

Apo Reef lies at the northern tip of the Coral Triangle, a 5.7 million square-kilometre region which spans the seas of six countries including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. A fourth of the world's islands lie nestled within this exquisite region, distinguished by the presence of at least 500 species of reef-building coral.

The Coral Triangle is so abundant in marine life that it has been hailed by globally-renowned coral expert and Corals of the World author Dr. Charlie Veron as 'the centre of Earth's marine diversity' – home to 605 out of the 798 known reef-building corals and 2228 types of reef fish which include the Sulawesi Coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis), a living relic of the Dinosaur era, thought to have been extinct for some 70 million years.

View Coral Triangle expedition in a larger map

Like the Bermuda Triangle, the area has also spawned a menagerie of folklore. During the Age of Sail, both pirates and privateers swore of surmounting enchanting mermaids, wailing sirens, ship-tearing kraken and all manner of sea monsters.

In actuality, the region is an enormous undersea food factory, whose produce directly benefits half-a-billion people yearly. A single square kilometre of healthy reef can keep on producing over 40 metric tonnes of grouper, oyster, tuna and other forms of seafood year on year. Obviously, the potential of our seas to sustain life – both human and otherwise – is Leviathan-sized.

Paradise Assailed

In Greek mythology, the infant Zeus nursed from a bountiful horn carried by the nymph Amalthea. This so-called Cornucopian Horn came to be associated with both wealth and abundance. Properly protected, the Philippines' 27,000 square kilometers of coral reefs can too, turn into a Cornucopian Horn, providing for the needs of millions in a very real bid to eradicate Asian poverty.

Paradise lies troubled, however. For over a century, coastal development, destructive fishing practices, coral mining, sedimentation, overfishing, chemical pollution and climate change consequences such as ocean warming, acidification and coral bleaching have been waging an undersea war against our marine enclaves.

Now the Philippines, together with Indonesia – hosts the world's most threatened coral reefs, less than 5% of which remain in excellent condition. Faced with this problem, many countries within the Coral Triangle established Marine Protected Areas or MPAs to conserve what's left.

Undersea Enclaves

"Marine Protected Areas evolved when people realized that portions of coral reefs needed continual protection to stay productive," explains WWF Conservation Programs Vice-President Joel Palma. "These areas go by a host of names: MPAs, fish sanctuaries or no-take zones. All of them are loosely defined as inter or subtidal spots reserved by law for the protection of a given area."

Today the Philippines hosts about 10% of the world's MPAs – over 500, more than any in Southeast Asia. Established largely through local government initiatives and maintained through the blood, sweat and tears of local coastal communities, these undersea enclaves are scattered throughout the archipelago to provide vital safe havens for Philippine marine life as well as a growing number of eco-conscious tourists.

Sadly, many MPAs are plagued by a lack of funding. Mismanagement is rife, and it is estimated that little over 100 MPAs are properly administered. The rest are dubbed as 'paper parks' – areas urgently needing funding and professional management. MPA incursions due to hunting have been recurring sources of friction between the Philippines and its neighbours.

In September of 2007, 126 endangered Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) and 10,000 turtle eggs were found aboard Chinese fishing vessel F/V 01087 in Sulu.

In August of 2008, 101 critically-endangered Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) were found aboard Vietnamese fishing vessel F/V Q.ng 91234-TS near El Nido.

In April of 2009, 14 Green Sea Turtles were found aboard an unmarked Chinese speedboat near Cauayan Isle, also in El Nido.

Since the 1990s, WWF has been working with partners in the private sector, government agencies and civil society in furthering scientific research, policy reform, protected area and community-based management within the Coral Triangle. Its Philippine office has pioneered the establishment and upkeep of Marine Protected Areas in some of the country's best-known and most productive coral reefs.

Two of the country's best-managed MPAs include Apo Reef off the western coast of Occidental Mindoro and the Tubbataha Reefs off the Sulu Sea.

A Jewel in the Orient's Pearl

Hailed as the Jewel of Mindoro and a former world-class dive site, 30 years of destructive fishing has left much of Apo Reef in an abysmal state. In October of 2007, WWF and the local government of Sablayan in Mindoro spearheaded the total closure of Apo Reef, at 34 square-kilometers – the country's largest – for fishing. In its stead followed alternative livelihood programmes and a robust ecotourism drive designed to keep livelihoods afloat while allowing the reef ample time to recover.

Giant fish aggregation devices, locally termed Payaw, have been installed to provide alternate fishing spots for coastal communities. The crude but effective contraptions feature a buoy, a counterweight and anywhere from 10 to 20 giant coconut fronds. Algae growths on the decomposing fronds attract herbivores such as surgeonfish and rabbitfish, which then draw in larger predators.

Local group leader Elmo Bijona testifies to the effectiveness of the devices, "A single Payaw can daily yield maybe 15-kilogrammes of good fish per boat. You can land Tambakol, Tulingan, Galunggong and even Yellowfin Tuna on any given night." The steady rise in the size and number of fish has been matched by an upsurge of tourists, proving that ecological stewardship goes hand in hand with profit.

Even more dramatic results are evident in other model sites. From 2004 to 2005, the world-renowned Tubbataha Reefs off Palawan doubled yearly fish biomass from 166 to 318 metric tonnes per square kilometre – a yield seven times more productive than a typical reef. In addition, Tubbataha's fertile reefs constantly seed adjoining regions such as eastern Palawan and western Visayas with fish and invertebrate spawn. Through the work of WWF and its allies, Apo Reef may one day be what Tubbataha is now.

Natural Investments

Apo Reef differs from all other WWF-Philippines project sites in that it is kept afloat almost exclusively by donations. Bright Skies for Every Juan is a pioneering programme which enjoins Cebu Pacific passengers to indirectly offset the ecological impacts of their flights by donating to the upkeep of the reef.

The programme synergizes the efforts of WWF, Cebu Pacific and the local government of Sablayan to bolster the region's resilience to climate change impacts through MPA protection, the promotion of responsible ecotourism and the introduction of alternative livelihoods.

"Cebu Pacific's decision to spearhead climate adaptation is a prime example of private-sector leadership," says WWF-Philippines CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan. "Our government alone cannot turn back the tide of climate effects. It is the private sector which has the skills needed to think incisively, move efficiently and manage risk."

In the face of worsening climate impacts, protecting biodiversity enclaves makes perfect sense. Says Tan, "Our work in Apo Reef and other protected areas focus on more than just biodiversity conservation: should we succeed in halting climate change, these pockets of marine resilience will provide the building blocks needed to restore natural mechanisms which provide food and livelihood for millions of people. This is a natural investment."

A White-tipped Oracle

Back in Apo Reef, the hunt continues. Over an hour's exploration has yielded little in the way of jewels or answers. Everywhere the dawn rays begin slicing through the water, reflecting off an innocuous shadow 30-feet away. Perhaps, I reflect, what's important in treasure hunting is the journey. The best hunters have all learned to pick out treasure from trash. So too must we allow the hunt ... to transform the hunter.

Inexorably, the shadow morphs into a White-tip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus), itself on a hunt, as evidenced by its menacing and exaggerated motions. I tense up, one gloved hand cupping a dive-knife used more for show than anything else. The shark torpedoes onward. Time slows down. Suddenly an enveloping shadow smothers all light!

Puzzled, I gaze up and realize just what attracted the shark in the first place. The fusiliers – thousands upon thousands of them, have returned. The shark pulls up and dives into the mass.

As I watch the fascinating interplay between predator and prey, I notice, as if for the first time, the fusiliers' gleaming hues of cobalt, ruby and gold, gloriously illuminated by the morning. Then and there I realize that the shark's hunt led me to the end of mine.

As with the grandest treasure tales, the most valuable fortunes really do lie sunken beneath the blue. As inhabitants of the world's second-largest archipelago, we must realize that the sea's greatest treasure is its ability to provide – but that providence shall only continue when we in turn, learn to protect what we have been gifted with. Satisfied, I nod to the scene and swim off to rejoin the group.

65 feet below the Jewel of Mindoro, at the apex of the Coral Triangle, I have finally accomplished my treasure hunt.

Smart, WWF call to save dugongs and sea turtles

2011-06-02

Manila, Philippines - Leading Philippine wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines (WWF-Philippines), is encouraging citizens to help save the Philippine dugong and green sea turtle – both endangered species.

The wireless leader announced today the launch of its Text-to-Donate service, an SMS-based donation platform that empowers more than 46 million Smart and Talk 'N Text subscribers to easily contribute to WWF's wildlife conservation programs through the mobile phone.

Funds raised through this platform will be used by WWF-Philippines in their efforts to rehabilitate and preserve the Davao Gulf, which is a known habitat for dugongs and sea turtles.

"A lot of Filipinos are naturally caring and protective of our country's environment and native creatures. They are willing to help but they do not know how" said Mon Isberto, head of Smart's Public Affairs. "Smart's Text-to-Donate is an accessible, simple and quick way to do their share and with a partner like WWF, they are assured that their donations will be put to good use," he said.

Smart and Talk 'N Text subscribers can make a one-time donation for as low as five pesos or as much as P1,000. To donate, they only need to text WWF to 4483. Valid values are 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000. The donated amount will be deducted from the subscriber's prepaid load or be billed to the account if user is a postpaid subscriber.

Subscribers may also choose to give regular donations with just one text by texting WWF ON to 4483. A P5 donation will be deducted from or billed to the subscriber every 20 days.

WWF-Philippines Vice-Chair and CEO Lory Tan says Davao Gulf ranks as one of the priority conservation areas of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region.

"It is a breeding and nursery ground for small and large pelagic species, with frequent sightings of whale sharks, dugongs and leatherback turtles. Sadly, the Davao Gulf is being threatened by the very economic activities it supports," said Tan, citing ports, oil depots, factories and other industries that are perceived to exert pressure on the quality of the water, the natural habitats and the productivity of the Gulf's fisheries.

"Environmental exploitation by humans is a consequence of growing poverty in the area. Fish yields have decreased, leading many to adopt destructive fishing methods in order to survive. Turtles are killed for their meat and eggs, while the number of dugongs has dwindled due to boat propeller accidents and fishnet-caused drowning, among others," Tan added.

WWF-Philippines' Davao Gulf conservation and protection programs are being implemented in conjunction with the initiatives of the Davao Gulf Management Council composed of five coastal cities and 18 coastal municipalities surrounding the Davao Gulf.

Small-scale fishers in the Coral Triangle get big break in global market

2011-03-29

Mindoro, Philippines – Tuna handline fishers in the Philippines now have a better chance at competing in European markets through a private-public partnership between WWF, Blueyou Consultancy, European seafood companies and the Government of Germany.

Strict European Union policies on sourcing tuna plus increasing consumer demand for responsibly-caught seafood have made it difficult for small-scale fishers in impoverished tuna producing countries to stay on par with global standards, oftentimes losing out on profitable market opportunities.

"Through this partnership, we aim to create enabling conditions for small-scale fisheries to move towards a more sustainable management regime and generate more equitable market benefits in the long term," says Dr Jose Ingles, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Tuna Strategy Leader.

The project, which focuses on handline-caught Yellowfin tuna, will be implemented in identified pilot sites in the Philippines for four years, in partnership with the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and relevant local government units.

It will guide fishers to move towards meeting the sustainability criteria of the Marine Stewardship Council—the world's leading certification and ecolabelling program for sustainable seafood.

Tuna handline fishing, done on small traditional boats, involves the use of single hooks that catch tuna individually. Because of its highly selective method, handline fishing is seen to have less impact on the marine environment, usually targeting large and mature tuna that have already reproduced.

The fishery, however, stands to gain much more by meeting global standards. The management plan will protect tuna stocks and the socio-economic requirements of its stakeholders through infrastructure improvements, including a traceability system, scientific monitoring methods, safety standard procedures and product quality measures both at local and national levels.

"Our approach is to work closely with key players along the tuna supply chain from fishing communities, Philippine traders, European processors, to high value consumer markets in Europe and help build the right capacity and management systems for long term engagement," adds Ingles.

Around 2,200 wooden boats and 8,000 fishermen will initially be involved in the project.

"Lessons learned from this project will definitely benefit the entire Philippine tuna industry and can be replicated in other parts of the Coral Triangle region."

The Coral Triangle contains spawning and nursery grounds and migratory routes for commercially-valuable tuna species such as Bigeye, Yellowfin and Skipjack, producing more than 40% of the total catch for the Western Central Pacific region, and representing more than 20% of the total global catch.

Tuna is a highly valuable marine resource that fuels the economies of this region's developing nations and supports the livelihoods of millions of people.

However, the rising demand for tuna products and the lack of effective policies to regulate the fishing industry is causing the overexploitation of certain tuna species in the Coral Triangle.

"This project is a win-win situation for handline fishers in the region who see this trade as their only source of income, for European markets that are looking for more and more responsibly-caught tuna products, and for the health of tuna stocks of this region."

The project is being party funded by the German Investment and Development Agency (DEG) and supported by Bell Seafood, Coop Switzerland and Sea Fresh.

Lights out in Western Pacific as Earth Hour heads for record year

2011-03-26

Lights were turned off in homes, businesses and public buildings in Fiji and New Zealand at 8:30 PM local time as Earth Hour 2011 began. There was widespread endorsement of the message that the world and its environment need commitments for action going "beyond the hour".

By the time the event ends in the Cook Islands, 24hrs after the first light switch was turned off, hundreds of millions of people in thousands of cities, towns and communities in a record 134 countries on all continents are expected to have participated.

In Fiji, lights were turned off but not the television sets as the island nation got set for the face off against Kenya in the all important Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.
At Davis Station, Antarctica, the lights will go off - but not the heating - as scientists settle in for a candlelit dinner.

In some countries, the national, regional and especially municipal leaders have taken major roles in organising Earth Hour activities.

In Swaziland, the driving force behind Earth Hour will be 15 year old Nathi Mzileni.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged all to "use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light".

Social Media Hit
Earth Hour has dominated as a topic on social networking channels over recent days with Australian international model Miranda Kerr "hijacking" the Myspace homepage for Earth Hour.

The core Earth Hour accounts have garnered more than half a million Facebook fans and nearly 50,000 followers on Twitter, with many more following country specific accounts supporting the cause.

YouTube also displayed a customised doodle across the site for Earth Hour, while a light switch appearing above each video allows users to darken the YouTube host page.

Show Business & Sport
The world of show business and the world of sport also got behind the event, with leading stars in many countries taking part in Earth Hour events.

Leading sports institutions lending their support included the world's largest football club, Real Madrid, London's Olympic organising body and the European football federation UEFA.

London's 02 Arena joins a host of prominent sporting venues taking part in Earth Hour, including Chicago's Wrigley Fields, and the Water Cube and Birds Nest in Beijing.

"The list of official participants always falls short of the real levels of participation," Earth Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley said from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge soon after the lights faded in the city where Earth Hour was born.

"We always find out after the event that Earth Hour has been observed in countries that have never contacted us, cities we would never have expected and places we haven't heard of.

"We treasure this - it is symbolic of the growing recognition that we all need to act to restore the harmony between humanity and its environment and we all can act."

Celebrations in New Zealand
Wet conditions failed to dampen the enthusiasm for Earth Hour celebrations in New Zealand - although the event was also tinged with sadness as participants recalled the former key role of the city of Christchurch, devastated by an earthquake last month.

In the capital, Wellington's Mayor Celia Wade Brown switched off lights for the Earth Hour event at the Carter Observatory. Speaking at the event, WWF-New Zealand Executive Director Chris Howe emphasized the collective power of the Earth Hour global movement: "When we take small actions as part of a global community, we can make a big difference and create a future where people live in harmony with nature," he said.

In Auckland, the Sky Tower - the tallest free standing structure in the southern hemisphere - switched off lights, Hamilton's Earth Hour revellers braved thunder and lightning to attend Earth Hour 'lights out' events at restaurants and bars, and people in Alexandra enjoyed music by candlelight in Centennial Park.

Beyond the hour activities for Earth Hour have been most comprehensively embraced in Tauranga, a coastal city south of Auckland, with 41 businesses and organisations committing themselves to environmental action, including students planting 1000 trees along the expressway and the Port of Tauranga pledging to cut energy use.

Started in Australia, embraced by the world
Australia's participation in Earth Hour began as the lights dimmed on one of the world's most noted dual landmarks - the coat-hanger and sails combination of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

The cascade of commitments for beyond the hour activities went well beyond Australia's largest city.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard to do all she could to secure a price on carbon to combat climate change causing emissions, to new bikeways and LED lights for parks and streets.
WWF-Australia and partners also introduced Earth Hour Awards for outstanding contributions to the environment; an initiative that may be rolled out around the world for future Earth Hours.
15 year old Parrys Raines convinced her Woollongong school to install water filling stations and provide each student and teacher with a reusable stainless steel drinking bottle to reduce plastic bottle waste.

Sympathy for Japan
The Australian Earth Hour, along with many others, commenced with a minute's silence for the victims of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan earlier this month. Earth Hour events in some countries included fund raising to assist earthquake and tsunami victims.

In Japan itself, a small Earth Hour team demonstrated the resilience and resourcefulness shown by the country since the dual disaster by putting their emphasis on promoting 20 ways for Japanese people and businesses to save energy as a practical way to provide assistance to devastated areas.

The lights were turned off out on the Tokyo and Kyoto Towers and the castle and peace memorial in Hiroshima.

"We have had to cancel many of our planned events for Earth Hour," said WWF-Japan CEO Takamasa Higuchi. "What we would like to say is how grateful we are for the many gestures of help offered to our nation in this time of great tragedy."

"Despite the cruel situation a Japanese-Style Inn in the most devastated area has decided to participate in Earth Hour. Many evacuated people who lost their families and homes because of the tsunami are staying in the inn. They do not have electricity, of course, so they cannot switch off but will pray for the victims."

Phillipines claims record for community participation
The League of Cities and League of Municipalities ensured an overwhelming turn-out for Earth Hour in the Philippines by signing up 1661 cities and communities for the event After a minute's silence for Japan and the planet, acoustic performances provided low-carbon entertainment at the switch-off event.

The Department of Energy Secretary Rene D. Almendras lit the official candle outside the Mall of Asia at Pasay City followed by the vice president of The Philippine's Climate Change Commission. A long line of government and company representatives, celebrities, regional representatives and students then lit their candles from the official candle and recited their pledges for beyond the hour actions for the environment.

Other pledges flooded in from the municipalities. Makati City announced a ban on plastic shopping bags and plans to promote the use of locally handcrafted bags.

For images and video earthhour.org/media

Interviews:
Contact the Earth Hour Global media team on: Ph +61 404 929 243 or newsdesk@earthhour.org

Experts assess richness of Malaysian coral reefs

2010-11-28

Experts assess richness of Malaysian coral reefs

2010-11-28

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia: An international team of marine biologists has started a 20-day expedition to assess the health of the marine environment in part of the Coral Triangle, the world's centre of marine biodiversity.

Experts from Malaysia, the Netherlands and the United States will participate in the Semporna Marine Ecological Expedition (SMEE) from 29 November to 19 December 2010 within the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion in the waters off Semporna, Malaysia, a global priority conservation area.

The expedition can be followed on the Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity (NCB) website, www.ncbnaturalis.nl. Real time updates on new findings as well as images and short videos will be posted until preliminary expedition results are announced at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu on 20 December.

According to WWF, there is an immediate need to document the amount of coral and fish diversity in all of Malaysia's reefs to clarify how they function within the Coral Triangle region, which extends across the tropical marine waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

Similar studies have been conducted across the territorial waters of many of the nations located in the Coral Triangle region, yet few have looked at Malaysia's 7680km2 Semporna Priority Conservation Area.

Semporna is unusual because of its rich mix of reefs, representing 5 major reef types. This unique blend of habitat types and ecosystems means that many rare species are found in the area, some of which also inhabit Indonesia's nearby Berau region.

The expedition will assess the health of Semporna's marine environment by examining its fish, coral and invertebrate populations with a modified version of the internationally standardized Reef Check methodology. This includes profiling at two different depths to take a "snapshot" of overall reef health and looking for the best ways to enhance conservation and outreach efforts to better protect Semporna's rich marine resources.

WWF-Malaysia, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Universiti Malaya (UM) and the Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity (NCB) Naturalis have organized the event

Jointly leading the expedition are Dr. Bert Hoeksema of NCB Naturalis, Leader of the Biodiversity Team, and Affendi Yang Amri of UM, Leader of the Coral Reef Status Team. Other participants include US-based marine scientists from Old Dominion University, UMS, as well as other researchers from the Netherlands, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Sabah Parks.

The Semporna Marine Ecological Expedition is made possible in part by funding from Adessium Foundation.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors
WWF-Malaysia's Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Programme in Semporna PCA is currently implementing a project to facilitate collaborative management of fisheries and marine resources among stakeholders, which include government agencies, district office, private sectors, tour/dive operators and local communities. WWF's Semporna PCA Team works with these partners to manage coral reefs and adjacent ecosystems in a sustainable way to protect biodiversity. Economic activities such as tourism, reef fisheries and aquaculture can continue to provide livelihood and income for many people and sectors of society.

The Semporna Priority Conservation Area (PCA) is one of three Globally Significant PCAs in Malaysia within the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME). It is has Malaysia's largest concentration of coral reefs linked to complex habitats including mangroves, seagrass beds, and is home to 400 species of hard corals, 650 species of fish, endangered green and hawksbill turtles and contain migratory routes for whale sharks and manta rays. The SSME is located at the apex of the Coral Triangle.

The Coral Triangle—the nursery of the seas—is the most diverse marine region on the planet, matched in its importance to life on Earth only by the Amazon rainforest and the Congo basin. Defined by marine areas containing more than 500 species of reef-building coral, it covers around 6 million square kilometres of ocean across six countries in the Indo-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. For information go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

For more information, please contact:
Angela Lim, WWF-Malaysia +60 12 833 2868, alim@wwf.org.my
Astrid Kromhout, NCB Naturalis, +31 71 568 7625, Astrid.Kromhout@ncbnaturalis.nl