Coral degradation seen in Spratlys

[GLT]

Coral degradation seen in Spratlys

| 03/21/2009 12:58 AM



MANILA, Philippines - The Spratlys are rich in marine resources, but
there are signs of coral degradation in these islands the Philippines
calls the Kalayaan Island Group.

The area is within the jurisdiction of Kalayaan town in the far west
of Palawan but is also being claimed by neighboring Asian countries.

“Pag-asa Island in particular and the Kalayaan Island Group in general
have high capacity to support a fishery industry with significant
importance as sources of food and economic potential for adjacent
countries and the whole Southeast Asia,” stated a report titled “The
Pag-asa Island (Spratlys): Challenges and Opportunities.”

Commissioned by the Kalayaan municipal government, the study aimed to
provide detailed baseline information of the present state of Pag-asa
Island’s resources, particularly marine, give recommendations for
their sustainable use and recommend eco-tourism and livelihood
activities for the island.

The 30-day survey showed that one of the island’s 10 stations had good
coral cover (50.50 percent); four stations had fair coral cover (27.48
percent) while the rest had poor cover (less than 8.5 percent).

“The average condition of coral reefs in Pag-asa Island is found to be
fair, though more than 50 percent of the benthic (bottom) cover in
most of the stations was composed of dead corals,” the researchers
said.

The researchers claim that Pag-asa Island’s low coral cover might be
the result of destructive fishing methods used in the vicinity, as
observed by local fishermen and island residents.

“Dead standing coral structures are a common site underwater, most
likely the effect of the use of chemicals in fishing. An outbreak of
crown of thorns in the reefs of Pag-asa Island further aggravated the
poor situation of the corals. There were also reports of the gathering
of coral boulders by foreign fishing boats from the reefs of KIG,” the
report said.

Recorded in the 10 stations were 251 fish species, 141 of which are
commercially valuable.

There are eight kinds of macro-invertebrates in the area: giant clams,
sea cucumbers, lobsters, topshells, sipunculids, crown of thorns, sea
urchins and other starfish.

All the invertebrates, except the crown of thorns, are worth
conserving and protecting for food, livelihood and eco-tourism
purposes.

Thus, these resources should be properly managed, the researchers
said, citing the urgency of properly managing Pag-asa Island and KIG
marine resources.

“Claimant countries should come to terms on how they could jointly
protect and manage the area for sustainable development, before this
vast coral reef resource deteriorates,” they concluded.

The study was done by researchers of Western Philippines University-
College of Fisheries and Maritime Technology (WPU-CFAT) in Puerto
Princesa City, Palawan, namely Benjamin Gonzales, Joel Becira, Honorio
Pagliwan, Ria Sariego, Edwin Rodriguez, Bernaldo Montaño, Noli Bicron
and Johanse Gonsales.

The research placed third in the recent 2009 National Aquatic
Resources Research and Development System (NARRDS) award sponsored by
the Los Baños-based Department of Science and Technology-Philippine
Council for Aquatic and Marine Resources Research and Development
(DOST-PCAMRRD).
as of 03/21/2009 12:59 AM