Panaon locals in Southern Leyte raise threats to island’s biodiversity and marine ecosystem
Press Release Date: September 12, 2024
International marine conservation organization, Oceana joins the locals of Panaon Island in urging the Senators to pass the bills designating the island and other parts of the country as protected areas under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) Act.
The protection of Panaon Island as a protected seascape is one of the priorities for conservation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the country’s 30×30 target – where at least 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, and of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services are protected, by the year 2030.
From April to August 2024, Oceana facilitated a series of consultation workshops with the fisherfolk, local barangay leaders, academe, and other stakeholders of the Panaon Island municipalities of Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan and San Ricardo. These are geared towards the development of the Protected Area Management Plan once the Senate passed the bill declaring Panaon Island as a protected seascape.
Participants in the workshop identified potential management zones, conducted situational analysis, and identified the major threats to Panaon Island’s biodiversity.
Illegal fishing is a significant stressor to marine biodiversity
Panaon Island is a rich source of seafood and marine resources that the locals rely on for their food, nutrition, and livelihood through sustainable tourism activities. However, different forms of illegal fishing activities, particularly compressor fishing and night spearfishing, were identified as significant stressors during the workshops. These activities disrupt breeding cycles, deplete vulnerable populations and push endangered species closer to extinction.
“Ang ilegal nga pangisda usa gihapon ka seryosong problema sa among dapit sa isla sa Panaon gani bag-o lang gisulod ang among Marine Sanctuary sa Son-ok, kanunay nila kining himuon kong maglain ang panahon labi na sa habagat . Kining pagpamana kada gabii ug ang paggamit sa compressor niining mga mananagat nga gikan sa Surigao, usa usab kini sa among dakung problema ilabina kay ang uban kanila mogamit og hilo. Daku kaayo kinig kadaut sa mga tanggapa(corals) ug ubang pang kinabuhi sa kadagatan. Kong magpadayon kining maong sitwasyon maglisod na gayud kaming mga mananagat sa Panaon sa among panginabuhian tungod kay diha raman kami magsalig sa kadagatan. (Illegal fishing remains a serious problem in our area in Panaon. In fact, there were recent intrusions in our marine sanctuary. Illegal fishers usually enter our MPAs during bad weather, especially during the southwest monsoon season. Night spear fishing and the use of compressor by fishermen from Surigao are major issues as well because some of them use poison. This causes significant damage to coral reefs and other marine life. If this situation continues, we fishermen in Panaon will really struggle with our livelihood, as we rely solely on the sea),” said Raul Cordova, barangay captain of Son-ok 1, Pintuyan.
Coral reefs under threat
The coral reefs of Panaon Island are part of one of the ‘50 Reefs’ initiative, a global effort that identifies and prioritizes 50 critical reef sites that are most resilient to the impacts of climate change, underscoring its importance to marine conservation.
An expedition led by Oceana in 2021 found its coral reefs with up to 60 percent of very good coral cover, way above the national average of around 20 percent. Additionally, the part of Panaon Island in Sogod Bay was identified as a Marine Key Biodiversity Area due to the presence of exceptional but endangered marine biodiversity such as whale sharks and sea turtles. However, Typhoon Odette (Rai) on the same year caused significant damage to these reefs, exacerbated by different forms illegal fishing activities that continue to threaten their recovery and overall marine health.
“We are looking forward to the upcoming approval of the bill that will unify and declare Panaon Island as a protected seascape,” Pintuyan Mayor Ricarte Estrella said. “This will significantly help alleviate the persisting challenges in implementing regulations for marine protected areas and encourage the participation of locals—particularly the coastal barangays that can be resource managers,” Estrella added.
Currently, 11 Protected Area bills including that of the Panaon Island Protected Seascape are still pending approval in the Senate.
“Despite the progress made—such as the House of Representatives approving the bill on the third and final reading on 29 November 2023 and being backed by Senator Cynthia Villar—there is an increasing need to emphasize its urgency due to the number of threats and problems to Panaon Island’s biodiversity. Once enacted into law, additional protection measures will help tackle these existing threats,” Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana Vice President explained.
“The swift approval of these bills is crucial in the sustainable management and protection of these vital areas. This will embed stewardship and enhance governance, law enforcement, citizen participation, collaboration, and support from national agencies and local governments,” Ramos said.
These bills would safeguard 130,834.80 hectares of land and sea and integral to the country’s 30×30 conservation goals. Based on the DENR-BMB computation, together with the other proposed protected areas, these areas represent 4.39% of the Philippines’ marine conservation target and 16.25% of our terrestrial conservation target.
In December 2022, over 196 countries, including the Philippines, adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) at 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The framework includes 23 targets aimed at reversing habitat and species loss. (END)
Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 300 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit Oceana.org to learn more.
For More Information:
Joyce Sierra, Communications Manager, Oceana
Mobile: 09178214430 E-mail: jsierra@oceana.org
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Twitter: @oceana_ph Instagram: @oceana_ph