A couple of groupers hiding in a crevice.
As part of the Defending Our Ocean's expedition, the Esperanza
arrivedtoday in Manila, capital of the Philippines. On this leg,
theship's crew will campaign against plastics pollution, draw
attention tothe damage being done by an Australian mining company
and highlightsuccessful community efforts to protect marine
resources.
Manila Bay
This bay wasonce considered one of the most beautiful in the
world, now it is oneof the most polluted. Sludge, human sewage,
industrial waste and,especially, plain garbage foul the water.
Much of the garbage isplastic from 'single use' sources - that is
plastic bags, beveragebottles, cups and other items intended to be
used once and thrown away.Most of these plastics come from
land-based sources and are carriedalong deltas of rivers and
estuaries, smothering mangrove trees andother marine life.
The Philippines also has some of the bestexamples of communities
protecting their marine resources. We'llbe visiting two such
places - Donsol and Apo Island.
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Underwater beauty of the Philippines
Aserious-looking Hawksbill turtle staring at the observer, two
friendlyshining-orange clown fish swimming by, local fishermen
bringing outtheir traditional "sudsud" nets in the evening dusk -
the sea of thePhilippines is a paradise you just want to dive
into. These images urge us to protect thisbiodiversity for future
generations. Have a look, dream - and
act!
Donsol
Theplankton-rich waters of the municipality of Donsol are known
feedinggrounds for whale sharks. These largest fish of the sea are
celebrityanimals. Time magazine in 2004 called the Donsol whale
shark experiencethe "Best Animal Encounter in Asia". The thousands
of tourists whoflock to Donsol yearly seem to agree.
The epicentre of thewhale sharks' activity is undeniably Donsol.
But come migration time,the neighbouring municipalities of Bacon
and Rapu Rapu find themselvesvisited by these gentle giants as
well.
Apo Island
Knownaround the world as one of the best examples of a
community-managedmarine reserve, Apo Island is a small, steep
volcanic island surroundedby narrow fringing coral reefs. The
waters around it are home to 650species of fish and 400 species of
corals.
There was a time,however, when the fish were not so abundant.
Decades ago the islandersused dynamite for fishing, and practised
other unsustainable methods.Eking out a living as a fisherman
became more and more difficult.
Coralreef protection in Apo Island began informally in 1982
under a MarineConservation Development Program started by Silliman
University in thePhilippines. At first the local community was
sceptical, so theproject began on a small scale. As fish catches
improved theislanders became convinced.
In 1985, the island communityand local council formalized the
sanctuary, declaring waterssurrounding the island up to 500 metres
from the shore a marine reserve,and a portion of the coast in the
south-eastern part of the island ano-take fish sanctuary.
The community now plays a major rolein protecting their marine
resources in a model we hope will spread toother parts of the
Philippines and the world.
(continued below)
Island mining video update:
Miningoperations on Rapu Rapu island in the Philippines by
Australian companyLaFayette are a ticking time bomb for local
fisheries and the region'scoral reefs and whale sharks.
More
Ocean Defenders TV.
Rapu Rapu
Theisland of Rapu Rapu is in many ways similar to Donsol and
ApoIsland. Rapu Rapu's surrounding waters also teem with
marinelife. Its locals also depend on the sea for
theirlivelihood. But there is an important and loomingdifference.
Rapu Rapu has a large open pit mine - run byAustralian company
Lafayette. This mine was temporarily closedafter two toxic spills
last year, but recently re-opened despite therecommendation of a
presidential fact finding commission.
ReynaldoCotorno, a Rapu Rapu fisherman who had waded out to fish
on October11th recounted what happened when the first spill reached
theocean. As he put it, "I was wearing trousers at the time. The
seawater stung as if there were insects, but that was not
it. Perhaps it was the chemicals that caused the fish to die. There
werereally a lot of dead fish, big and small ones together with
shellfish."
As the presidential commission determined, another suchspill is
not necessary to demonstrate that mining operations will beseverely
detrimental to Rapu Rapu, and its surrounding waters. Initial
ecological and health studies on the Rapu-Rapu mine warned ofheavy
metal contamination, siltation and other acute and long-termimpacts
on the marine ecosystem, including the complications of acidmine
drainage.
In May, a Greenpeace report revealed that RapuRapu residents
only stand to gain about US$0.04 (PhP2.00) per capitaincome per day
during the mine's seven-year of operation. This amountdoes not even
look into the environmental, health and social costs thatthe local
population will incur from the project.
Islanders knowthat the fate of their community is linked to the
health of theocean. Thinking of his children, fisherman Cotorno
said, "Inshort, I am against the mine because I am thinking of the
future."
Sign the petition
Help Philippines Ocean Defenders resist the mine.
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