Habitat Assessment and Fisheries Profiling of

Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary

Sibunag, Guimaras (2016)

by Wilfredo L. Campos & Mary Ann Cielo Malingin Ma. Marivic Pepino Liezel Paraboles Alexanra Bagarinao Dexter Piloton Melsie Cadenas Lucas Felix Jr. Lorelie Burgos Pamanculan Reef and Fish Sanctuary, Sibunag

The municipality of Sibunag is located on the southeastern portion of the Island Province of Guimaras facing Negros Island. It is a 4th class municipality with a total land area of 12,004 ha and a total coastline of 73.15 km. There are 14 barangays in the municipality, with five coastal barangays, eight inland barangays and one island barangay. All six coastal barangays (including the island barangay) are mandated to manage and enforce regulations on Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary.

Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary (Fig. 1) is located on Pamanculan Island, Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag. The Sanctuary is a sheltered MPA because neighboring islands minimize the impact of weather disturbances and monsoons. However, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows are heavily silted, which might be attributed to low water movement in the area. Semi-submerged infrastructures such as 13-17 fish corral units and two fish pen units were observed in the MPA. These infrastructures may also contribute to minimal water mixing due to obstruction. The sanctuary was established in 2014 through municipal ordinance no. 52 s-2014. Prior to the ordinance, a Coastal Resource Management (CRM) plan, an MPA management plan and an operations manual were formulated. The MPA management plan was not adopted formally, which might have contributed to the numerous fishing gears operated in the core zone. However, the issuance of Pamanculan as a Sanctuary was relatively recent (2014) when compared with other PRA-RSA survey sites, which might have contributed to the lack of a proper legal basis and the lack of development, adoption and implementation of MPA management plans. Note that in Table 3, the buffer zone and the total area from the MO do not match with the new computation from the GIS mapping. One possible explanation could be that the buffer zone from the MO was computed as the total area of the core zone and the buffer zone, other than this, the discrepancy is unknown.

Figure 1. Map of Sibunag showing Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary.

Habitat Assessment and Fisheries Profiling

The surveys were conducted from 5-6 May 2016. Twelve (12) stations were assessed for coral cover, reef associated macroepifauna and reef fish assemblages. Additionally, three (3) stations were surveyed for mangrove habitat assessment, and also three (3) stations were surveyed for seagrass. Locations of the surveyed stations are shown in Fig. 2. In fisheries profiling, focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted to gather information on the fishing ground, catch composition and fishing effort. The FGD was conducted in the Brgy. San Isidro where the MPA is located. A series of questions were asked to the participants (fisherfolks) related to (i) fish catch, (ii) fishing gear used, (iii) fishing grounds and (iv) seasonality were discussed with the participants. The output of the activity included a catch matrix that provided estimates of total annual capture fisheries production that were derived from fishing effort (number of gear units and time spent fishing) and catch rate. Gleaned information was also used to plot a gear map, to determine the seasonal calendar and catch composition. The catch matrix will ensure a systematic monitoring of fishing activities and indirectly gauge abundance of fishery-targeted species, which can be used to improve the effectiveness of the MPA. The methodology of the surveys followed the standard protocol approved by DA-PRDP and REECS, which is available in the final report of PRA-RSA Project. Note that only the results are shown here.

Figure 1. Coral Reef, Mangrove and Seagrass Stations in the Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary

The reef transect coordinates, transect direction and the number of semi-permanent markers for the Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary are shown in Table , in Table for mangrove and in

Table for seagrass transects.

Table 1. Coordinates of Reef Transects in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, May 2016 No. of semi- Coordinates Transect Transect Code permanent Direction N E markers inside Pmi01 10.46154 122.65492 North 2 Pmi02 10.45938 122.65479 North 2 Pmi03 10.45784 122.65408 Northeast 2 Pmi04 10.45667 122.65309 Northeast 2 Pmi05 10.45658 122.65227 west Northwest 2 Pmi06 10.45652 122.65158 west Northwest 2 outside Pmo01 10.46623 122.65216 North 2 Pmo02 10.46759 122.65475 Northeast 2 Pmo03 10.4658 122.65658 North 1 Pmo04 10.45341 122.65003 Northeast 1 Pmo05 10.45323 122.64799 Northwest 1 Pmo06 10.45115 122.64844 Northwest 0

Table 2. Coordinates of Mangrove Transects in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, May 2016 Coordinates MPA Transect Transect Code Latitude Longitude Transect 1 M-T1 10° 27' 34.02" 122° 39' 2.27" Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary Transect 2 M-T2 10° 27' 37.15" 122° 38' 37.03" Transect 3 M-T3 10° 28' 27.48" 122° 39' 22.07"

Table 3. Coordinates of Seagrass Transects in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, May 2016 Transect Coordinates MPA Station Code Latitude Longitude Transect 10° 27' 1 S-T1 40.08" 122° 39' 2.34" Transect 10° 27' 122° 38' Pamanculan Fish 2 S-T2 36.00" 42.48" Sanctuary Transect 122° 38' 3 S-T3 10° 28' 0.48" 44.66"

Coral Reef Assessment

a. Line Intercept Transect

Pamanculan Reef and Fish Sanctuary is located near the mainland and is surrounded by several small islands (see Fig. 2). The reef is generally shallow (1-4 meters) and corals in some areas are almost exposed during low tide. The water movement around the area is very slow, which increases the chances of silt to be trapped within the coral reefs. These characteristics help define the health status of the coral reefs in Pamanculan.

Gomez et al. (1994) have standardized a classification in order to define the health status of coral reefs (see Table 4 below). According to the coral reef assessment conducted recently (May 2016), the reefs of Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary was generally categorized as “fair” since the average live hard coral (LHC) cover was 45.4%. The lowest LHC cover was observed in station Pmo01 with only 16.26% and is categorized as poor. The highest LHC cover was observed in station Pmo05 with 77.78% and falls under the category “excellent”. The comparison of LHC cover between stations are shown in Figure 3.

The health of corals, especially LHC, is obviously affected by the level of silt that suspends and is eventually deposited in the reef. High sedimentation rate increases water turbidity, thereby limiting light available for photosynthesis of the coral zooxanthellae endosymbiont, simply known as the symbiotic algae that provides essential nutrients for the corals (Douglas, 2001). Sedimentation is further enhanced by the presence of fishponds and farmlands in coastal barangays near the sanctuary, where in terrestrial loads directly affect coral populations by smothering coral heads and covering them with silt (ISRS, 2004).

Table 4. Coral reef classifications standardized by Gomez et al. (1994).

Live Hard Coral (LHC) Cover Category 0 – 24.9% Poor 25- 49.9% Fair 50- 74.9% Good 75- 100% Excellent

Live Hard Coral Cover 90.00 80.00 70.00 60.00 50.00 40.00 30.00 Coral Cover CoralCover (%) 20.00 10.00 0.00 PMi01 PMi02 PMi03 PMi04 PMi05 PMi06 PMo01 PMo02 PMo03 PMo04 PMo05 PMo06 Stations

Figure 3. LHC cover in 12 stations surveyed in Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary, 2016.

According to Wolanski (2000), soft coral distribution is strongly influenced by the charcteristics of the aquatic environment such as temperature, turbidity, depth, salinity, water current etc. Live soft coral (LSC) cover in the sanctuary has a mean percentage cover of 6.67% (SD ± 7.17%). This is not surprising given that the water current in Pamanculan reef is slow and the water turbidity is poor. Usually, high LSC cover are observed in reefs with strong water current and high water clarity like marine protected areas in Tawi-tawi (Campos et al., 2013 & 2015).

The mean dead coral cover was 0.075%. Meanwhile, the percentage cover of dead coral with algae was relatively high, with a mean value of 18.23%. This percentage represents the coral populations that were not able to survive the harsh aquatic condition in the area. The second highest percentage belongs to the abiotic with 29% coverage (Fig. 4). This is comprised mostly of silt, as recorded during the LIT survey. The detailed benthic cover data of Pamanculan Reef and Fish Sanctuary is presented in the Table 5. Other Algae 1% Other LSC Biota 7% 0%

Abiotic 29%

HCR 0% LHC DC 45% 0% DCA 18%

Figure 4. Percent distributions of the coral life forms in Pamanculan Reef and Fish Sanctuary, 2016.

Table 5. Summary of benthic cover in the Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary in Sibunag, Guimaras (Abbreviations: STN=station, LHC= live hard coral, LSC= live soft coral, DC= dead coral, DCA= dead coral with algae, HCR= hard coral recruit). BENTHIC COVER MPA STN LHC LSC DC DCA Other Other Abiotic HCR Site Algae Biota Pamanculan Sanctuary Inside PMi01 34.42 12.98 0 27.92 0 0 24.68 0 PMi02 53.42 7.1 0.5 28.48 0 0 10.3 0.04 PMi03 49.5 4.26 0 32.46 0 0 13.78 0 PMi04 39.38 7.74 0 4.28 0 0 48.6 0 PMi05 28.5 23.8 0 2.5 0.4 0.4 44.4 0 PMi06 34.42 12.98 0 27.92 0 0 24.68 0

n 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 mean 39.940 11.477 0.083 20.593 0.067 0.067 27.740 0.007 SD 9.646 6.951 0.204 13.445 0.163 0.163 15.687 0.016

Out PMo01 16.26 0 0.2 3.6 0 2 74.74 0 PMo02 62.32 0 0 28.7 2.02 0.22 6.74 0 PMo03 43.74 0 0 33.3 0 0 22.96 0 PMo04 38.74 7.9 0.2 7 1.5 0.2 44.46 0 PMo05 77.78 2.14 0 13.68 1.96 0 4.44 0 PMo06 66.3 1.22 0 8.88 1.58 0.3 21.72 0

n 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 mean 50.857 1.877 0.067 15.860 1.177 0.453 29.177 0.00 SD 22.312 3.077 0.103 12.258 0.934 0.768 26.530 0.00 comb n 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 mean 45.398 6.672 0.075 18.227 0.622 0.260 28.458 0.0033 sd 17.352 7.169 0.154 12.513 0.863 0.566 20.793 0.0115

b. Fish Visual Census

A total of 61 species that belonged to 16 families were recorded in the Pamanculan MPA. The top 10 abundant fish families and highest % density were Plotosidae (eeltail catfish, 68.7%), Pomacentridae (damselfish, 17%), Chaetodontidae (butterfly fish, 3.7%), Labridae (wrasses, 2.4%), Apogonidae (cardinalfish, 2.2%), Caesionidae (fusiliers, 1.0%), Acanthuridae (surgeonfish, 0.7%), Centriscidae (shrimpfish, 0.7%), Lutjanidae (snapppers, 0.6%) and the Mullidae (goatfish, 0.5%) (Table ). However, families Pomacentridae and Labridae were the most diverse, with 25 and 14 species, respectively. The remaining families contributed 1-9 species each. The juveniles of P. lineatus were the most abundant species, comprising 47.2% of the total number of fish recorded during the survey. These schooling juveniles were only observed in one station (PmO4) outside of the MPA.

Table 6.Top 10 families and fish species in all stations in Pamanculan MPA, San Lorenzo. Family Common Mean % Species Common Mean % Name (ind/ 500 Den- Name (ind/ Den- m²) sity 500 sity m²) Plotosidae Eel tail 200.0 68.7 Plotosus lineatus Striped eel 200.0 47.2 catfish catfish Pomacentridae Damselfish 49.3 17.0 Pomachromis Richardson’s 72.6 17.1 richardsoni reef damsel Chaetodontida Butterflyfish 10.8 3.7 Stegastes Pacific 11.1 2.6 e fasciolatus gregory Labridae Wrasse 7.0 2.4 Neoglyphidodon Barhead 11.0 2.6 thoracotaeniatu damselfish s Apogonidae Cardinal fish 6.5 2.2 Chaetodon Oval 6.8 1.6 lunulatus butterflyfish Caesionidae Fusiliers 3.0 1.0 Thalassoma Moon wrasse 6.3 1.5 lunare Acanthuridae Surgeonfish 2.0 0.7 Pomacentrus Damselfish sp. 6.0 1.4 sp.1 1 Centriscidae Shrimpfish 2.0 0.7 Plectroglyphidod Whitespotted 5.7 1.3 on lacrymatus devil Lutjanidae Snapper 1.8 0.6 Pomacentrus Speckled 5.0 1.2 bankanensis damselfish Mullidae Goatfish 1.5 0.5 Cheilodipterus Wolf 4.0 0.9 artus cardinalfish 97.5 77.6 Total # of fam: 16 Total # of spp: 61

Overall, the Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary had the lowest mean fish abundance, biomass and species richness in all the surveyed sites in Guimaras. The abundance of fishes in Pamanculan ranged from 1 to192 ind./500 m² in all stations, with an overall mean of 38.5 ind./500 m². The fish biomass ranged from 0.01 to 3.24 g/m² in all stations, with an overall mean of 0.6 g/m². The reef fish abundance and biomass were generally higher outside than inside the MPA (Table ) because of schooling juveniles of striped eel catfish (P. lineatus) particulary in one outside station (PMo02). Meanwhile, the mean density showed little difference between inside and outside MPA stations. Comparison of the mean reef fish abundance, biomass, density and diversity between stations and outside/inside of the MPA is shown in Figure 5 and 6, respectively.

Table 7. Summary of reef fish abundance, biomass and density in each station in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, Sibunag, Guimaras. SITE STN Abundan Biomass Biomass No. spp. No. fam. Mean Mean wt. ce 1 (g/m2) 2 Density (g/ind.) (ind./500 (kg/500 (ind./m2) m2) m2) inside PMi01 47 1.50 0.75 5 2 0.09 15.91 PMi02 77 0.78 0.39 12 5 0.15 5.05 PMi03 10 0.14 0.07 14 8 0.02 6.89 PMi04 25 0.16 0.08 6 4 0.05 3.27 PMi05 3 0.07 0.03 3 10 0.01 10.83 PMi06 1 0.01 0.00 1 3 0.00 3.21 n 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 mean 27.2 0.4 0.2 7.5 3.7 0.1 7.5 sd 29.8 0.6 0.3 5.1 2.6 0.1 5.0 outside PMo01 6 0.05 0.02 2 2 0.01 4.16 PMo02 192 3.24 1.62 17 6 0.38 8.44 PMo03 15 0.67 0.34 6 3 0.03 22.37 PMo04 45 0.72 0.36 18 9 0.09 7.97 PMo05 11 0.23 0.12 7 3 0.02 10.55 PMo06 30 0.23 0.12 20 8 0.06 3.88 n 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 mean 49.8 0.9 0.4 8.3 3.5 0.1 9.6 sd 71.1 1.2 0.6 5.4 1.6 0.1 6.8 combined n 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 mean 38.5 0.6 0.3 7.9 3.6 0.1 8.5 sd 53.3 0.9 0.5 5.0 2.1 0.1 5.8

4.0 Fish Biomass 1

3.0

) 2

2.0 (g/m 1.0

0.0 Pmi01 Pmi02 Pmi03 Pmi04 Pmi05 Pmi06 Pmo01 Pmo02 Pmo03 Pmo04 Pmo05 Pmo06

2.0 Fish Biomass 2

1.5

) 2 1.0

0.5 (kg/500m 0.0 Pmi01 Pmi02 Pmi03 Pmi04 Pmi05 Pmi06 Pmo01 Pmo02 Pmo03 Pmo04 Pmo05 Pmo06

400.0 Fish Abundance ) 2 300.0 200.0

(ind/500m 100.0 0.0 Pmi01 Pmi02 Pmi03 Pmi04 Pmi05 Pmi06 Pmo01 Pmo02 Pmo03 Pmo04 Pmo05 Pmo06

1.0 Fish Density

0.8 ) 2 0.6 0.4

(ind/m 0.2 0.0 Pmi01 Pmi02 Pmi03 Pmi04 Pmi05 Pmi06 Pmo01 Pmo02 Pmo03 Pmo04 Pmo05 Pmo06 30 Species richness 20

10 No.spp

0 Pmi01 Pmi02 Pmi03 Pmi04 Pmi05 Pmi06 Pmo01 Pmo02 Pmo03 Pmo04 Pmo05 Pmo06

Figure 5. Reef fish abundance, biomass, density and diversity per reef station in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, Sibunag, Guimaras (May 2016). Fish Biomass 1 4.0 400.0 Fish Abundance

3.0 300.0

/500m²) g/m²) 2.0 ind 200.0

Mean( 1.0 100.0 Mean(

0.0 0.0 inside outside all inside outside all

Fish Biomass 2 Fish Density 4.0 1.00

3.0 0.80 0.60

kg/500m²) 2.0 0.40

1.0 Mean(ind/m²) Mean( 0.20 0.0 0.00 inside outside all inside outside all

25.0 Species richness 20.0 15.0 10.0

Mean(no.spp.) 5.0 0.0 inside outside all

Figure 6. Mean reef fish abundance, biomass, density and diversity in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, Sibunag, Guimaras (May 2016).

Overall, the mean abundance and biomass of the MPA were classified as very low and very poor, respectively (Hilomen et al. 2000) (see Table 8). The heavy siltation and the presence of fishing gears in the MPA may have contributed to the low reef fish abundance and biomass. Siltation is an ecological disturbance that controls the species diversity of reef fishes in the area. This process is due to limited coral growth because of low irradiance levels. The availability of space facilitates the growth of macroalgae species, which in turn dictates the community assemblage of reef fishes, i.e. macroalgae farmers (damselfishes) and herbivores (surgeonfish, parrotfish, to name a few). Alternatively, fishing gears in the MPA also decreases the abundance and biomass of reef fishes through fishing related mortality. Moreover, these fishing gears create obstruction of water mixing that may lead to hypoxic conditions prompting fish kills.

Table 8. Reef fish status of Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary according to the fish condition index by Hilomen et al. (2000). Pamanculan MPA Overall Fish Condition Fish Parameters Index Inside Outside All Mean Abundance (ind/ 1000m²) 48 287 168 very poor Mean Biomass (g/m²) 0.5 1.5 1.0 very low

c. Macro-Invertebrates

A total of 36 macro-invertebrate species, classified under 13 major invertebrate groups were observed across the 12 transects surveyed at Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary (Table ). The number of species observed in the 12 transects ranged from 3 to 14. The highest species diversity was observed in station PMo06, outside the core zone. Stations with the least number of macro- invertebrate species encountered were in PMi01 and PMo04. Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary had more macro-invertebrate sightings than Tumalintinan MPA, which might be attributed to a higher habitat complexity. However, compared to Lawi Marine Reserve and Sanctuary and Toyo Reef, Pamanculan had a lower species richness, which might be attributed to high sedimentation rates. High siltation can cause clogging and smothering of macro-invertebrate feeding and respiratory organs (Tait and Dipper, 1998).

Table 9. Summary of reef macro-invertebrates recorded during the survey in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, Sibunag, Guimaras. Species Name Common STATION

Name

PMi01 PMi02 PMi03 PMi04 PMi05 PMi06

PMo01 PMo02 PMo03 PMo04 PMo06

Pmo05 Crustacean Snapping Alpheus sp. shrimp + Calcinus Gaimard’s gaimardii hermit crab + + + Small white Calcinus minutus hermit crab + + Calcinus sp. - + + Dardanus Dark knee lagopodes hermit crab + Dardanus sp. - + + Twin-branch Diogenidae hermit crab + Coral hermit Paguritta sp. crab + + Polychaete Bispira sp. - + Indian Sabellastarte Feather indica duster worm + + + + + + + + + + + Common Feather S. sanctijosephi duster worm + Sabellastarte sp. - + + + Spirobranchus Christmas sp. tree worms + + + + + + Bivalve Ventricose Arca ventricosa ark shell + no common Isognomon sp. name found + + Lithophaga no common zittelliana name found + + + + Pedum Iridescent spondyloideum scallop + + + Pteria sp. Wing oyster + Crinoid Colobometra Very spiny perspinosa feather star + + Extraordinar Comanthus y feather mirabilis star + Comaster Schlegel’s schlegelii feather star + Oxycomanthus Bennett’s bennetti feather star + Echinoid Black long- Diadema spine sea setosum urchin + + + Double- Echinothrix spined calamaris urchin + + + + Gastropod Dendropoma Great coral maxima worm shell + + Drupe sea Drupella sp. snail + Ophiuroid Ophiomastix sp. Brittle star + + + Ophiomastix Variable variabilis brittle star + Ascidian Green barrel Didemnum molle sea squirt + + + + Polycarpa no common pigmentata name found + + + + + Flatworm Blue-lined Pseudoceros sp. flatworm + Holothuroid Spotted Synapta worm sea maculata cucumber + Hard coral recruit (HCR) + Phoronid Phoronis Horseshoe australis worm + Asteroid Nardoa Warty mesh tuberculata sea star + Total No. of species 8 6 8 5 5 6 3 7 6 3 9 14 Note: (+) indicates the presence of the species in the station surveyed.

In Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, crustaceans (Figure -a) had the highest species richness, although their distribution was patchy. Patchy distribution was also exhibited by bivalves and crinoids (Figure -b and Figure -c). Polychaetes were the second most species-rich invertebrate group and were frequently observed. Sabellastarte indica (Indian feather duster worm) (Figure -d) was observed in all stations except PMi02. The second most encountered species was Spirobranchus sp. (polychaete), followed by Diadema setosum and Echinotrix calamaris (echinoids). Species that were rarely encountered included Phoronis australis (Horseshoe worm) and Pseudoceros sp. (Blue-lined flatworm) (Figure -e and f).

Hard coral recruits (corals < 2cm) were rarely encountered and were observed only in one station (i.e. PMi06).

Figure 7. Representative species of macro-invertebrates observed in Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary, Sibunag, Guimaras: a. Calcinus minutus, b. Arca ventricosa, c. Comaster schlegelii, d. Sabellastarte indica, e. Phoronis australis, f. Pseudoceros sp.

Mangrove Assessment

The mangroves in Brgy. San Isidro were distributed in patches along the mainland coast. In contrast, lush growth and extensive cover was observed along the two creeks. The mangrove areas assessed were located in Pamanculan Island (Figure ). Three transects, covering a total of nine 10x10m plots were established in the surveyed sites. One transect was positioned in Pamanculan Island, which had a narrow strip/belt of mangrove stand predominantly composed of mature trees with a spread of 40-50 meters from seaward to landward. For this reason, the transect was laid parallel to the shore (Figure -a), angled slightly to include the landward zone. The remaining two transects were situated near the two rivers that drained towards Pamanculan Island. The mangroves in the riverbanks were composed of a combination of mature and young trees and covered an expansive area, which prompted positioning the transects perpendicular to the shore (Figure -b and c). Along the riverbanks, fishponds were observed, which were probably created after mangrove clearing activities. Fish ponds increase the sedimentation and nutrient loading in the area via the clearing of mangrove which trap sediments and outputs for nutrient enriched pond waters.

Figure 8. Mangrove forests in (a) Pamanculan Island composed of mature trees and (b, c) near the river mouths which is composed of a combination of young and mature trees. (Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag, Guimaras, May 5-6, 2016). The first two transects were surveyed in the afternoon (1-5pm) of May 5, 2016, while the third transect was surveyed early morning (7-8am) the next day (May 6, 2016). The time of sampling influenced the abiotic measurements. The temperature ranged from 30.0-35.0°C, with the highest values recorded at the first transect. Salinity ranged from 35.0-36.0 ppt. Areas with relatively higher salinity were situated in the riverbanks because freshwater has a lower salinity relative to seawater. The pH was measured using pH paper and values recorded were neutral (pH = 7) for all plots. The pH of seawater usually ranges from 7.5 to 8.4. Trash was observed in all the surveyed sites. Mangrove clearing seemed to be a recurrent activity in the area, since the team observed a number of recently chopped and dead branches of Rhizophora stylosa and Avicennia marina. Alternatively, mortality due to natural disturbance may also have contributed to the observations.

Ten species of mangroves belonging to five families were identified in the area (Table 1). Rhizophora stylosa was the most widely distributed mangrove species, i.e. present in all the transects. Eight out of 10 species concentrated in the third transect, situated near the river, located north of Pamanculan Island. The distribution of mangrove species and the physico-chemical characteristics of the surveyed sites are summarized in Table 2.

Table 1. List of mangrove species found in the surveyed sites of Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag, Guimaras last May 5-6, 2016. Family Species Code Primulaceae Aegiceras floridum AF Aviceniaceae Avicennia marina AM Avicennia rumphiana AR Rhiziphoraceae Bruguiera gymnorrhiza BG Ceriops decandra CD Rhizophora apiculata RA Rhizophora mucronata RM Rhizophora stylosa RS Soneratiaceae Sonneratia alba SA Meliaceae Xylocarpus granatum XG

Total Stand Basal Area (SBA) for the surveyed mangrove sites in San Isidro, Sibunang was 58.22 m2/ha, largely dominated by Avicennia marina (46.62 m2/ha) (

Table 3). The total SBA recorded was higher compared to values observed by Campos et al. (2013) in Boracay Island, Aklan (55.12 m2/ha), Uy et al. (2002) in Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur (10.72 - 39.78 m2/ha), Walters (1999) in Bais Bay, Dumaguete (33.2 m2/ha); but was lower compared to values recorded by Campos et al. (2014) in Carles, Iloilo (518.84 m2/ha) and Tibubos (2006) in Libertad, Antique (156.74 m2/ha).

Table 2. Physico-chemical characteristics and the distribution of mangrove species in surveyed sites of Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag, Guimaras (Sub- substrate; Sal - salinity; Temp - temperature). AREA COORDINATES SUBSTRATE SAL pH TEMP MANGROVE SPECIES DISTRIBUTION (ppt) (°C) AF AM AR BG CD RA RM RS SA XG Transect 1 N E Plot 1 10.45645 122.65416 sandy 35 7 35.33 X X Plot 2 10.45928 122.65118 sandy 35 7 32.17 X Plot 3 10.45918 122.65146 sandy no water in the area to X X conduct these tests Transect 2 Plot 1 - - sandy-muddy 36 7 32.00 X X Plot 2 10.46032 122.64362 sandy-muddy 36 7 21.83 X X X Plot 3 10.46037 122.64319 sandy-muddy 36 7 31.00 X X Transect 3 Plot 1 10.47430 122.65613 sandy-muddy 35 7 30.00 X Plot 2 10.47463 122.65646 sandy-muddy no water in the area to X X X X X X X X conduct these tests Plot 3 10.47497 122.65675 sandy-muddy 36 7 30.67 X X X

Table 3. List of mangroves and corresponding stand basal area (SBA) of each species, SBA of all trees occupying the area and stems per hectare (SPH) in San Isidro, Sibunag, Guimaras last May5-6, 2016. AREA SPECIES BA (m2/ha) SBA (m2/ha) of SBA (m2/ha) of the SPH each species area Aegiceras floridum 0.32 3.50 88.89 Avicennia marina 4.20 46.62 733.33 Avicennia rumphiana 0.04 0.45 33.33 Bruguiera gymnorrhiza 0.00 0.02 22.22 Ceriops decandra 0.05 0.59 111.11 San Isidro, Sibunag 58.22 Rhizophora apiculata 0.09 0.98 222.22 Rhizophora mucronata 0.00 0.00 33.33 Rhizophora stylosa 0.50 5.50 933.33 Sonneratia alba 0.05 0.50 122.22 Xylocarpus granatum 0.01 0.07 33.33 Stems per hectare (SPH) ranged from 22 to 933 (Table 4). Overall, R. stylosa (933 SPH) and A. marina (733 SPH) had the highest SPH with B. gymnorrhiza (22 SPH) having the lowest. These values were higher, compared to the mangroves of Boracay Is., Aklan (Campos et al. 2013) but lower compared to Bais Bay, Negros Or. (Walters, 1999; Calumpong, 1994) and Carles-Estancia (Campos et al. 2014) (Table 4).

Table 4. Comparison of stems per hectare (SPH) reported in some areas of the Philippines. Area Genus Stems per ha Source Sibunag, Guimaras Ae/Av/Br/Ce/Rh/Sn/Xy 0.49-7,333,333 This study Carles-Estancia, Iloilo Av/Rh/Sn 33-4250 Campos et al.,2014 Boracay Is., Aklan Av/Rh/Sn 22-172 Campos et al.,2013 Av/Rh/Sn 800-11200 Walters, 1999 Bais Bay, Negros Or. Av/Rh/Sn/Br 91-6558 Calumpong, 1994

Rhizophora stylosa had the highest importance value, which indicated the high adaptability of the species, and the significant contribution of this species to the development of the local mangrove forest (Table 5). The calculated species diversity index of the mangrove stand was 0.83. This value was higher compared to the values recorded in Carles, Iloilo (0.36-0.64, Campos et al. 2014), Boracay Is., Aklan (0.52-0.54, Campos et al. 2013) and Danjugan Island, Negros Occidental (0.63 to 0.78, King et al. submitted).

Table 5. Importance value of each mangrove species in Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag, Guimaras. AREA SPECIES R Den R Dom R Freq Importance (%) (%) (%) Value San Isidro, Aegiceras floridum 3.81 4.83 8.70 17.33 Sibunag Avicennia marina 31.43 7.78 8.70 47.90 Avicennia rumphiana 1.43 30.11 8.70 40.24 Bruguire gymnorrhiza 0.95 0.01 4.35 5.31 Ceriops decandra 4.76 1.54 4.35 10.65 Rhizophora apiculata 9.52 12.75 8.70 30.97 Rhizophora mucronata 1.43 0.24 4.35 6.02 Rhizophora stylosa 40.00 34.23 30.43 104.66 Sonneratia alba 5.24 11.50 17.39 34.13 Xylocarpus granatum 1.43 0.42 4.35 6.19

The overall condition of mangroves in Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag was excellent (Deguit et al. 2004). The mangrove stand was composed of mature and young trees with an average height of 5.83m. The number of wildlings was 1.15 ind./m2 signifying that the stand had high regenerative capacity. Lush growth of mangroves was observed but a number of dead mangrove branches and a few cuts due to human clearing were observed. However, mangrove clearing activities were probably minimal, since the crown cover remained very high (>76%). The sampling was conducted at low tide, where the mangrove forests were exposed to high irradiance and temperature; hence, only few organisms, such as gastropods attached to the mangrove pneumatophores were observed. In addition, shrimps (Penaeus semisulcatus) and bivalves were gleaned in the surveyed area by a fisherman.

Seagrass Assessment

Seagrass meadows were assessed in and around Pamanculan Island. Surveyed sites exhibited turbid conditions because of river runoff. A total of three 100m-transects were laid in the area. One transect was located on Pamanculan Island and the remaining two were positioned west of the Island near the mainland. Poor visibility (ca 12-30 cm) due to heavy siltation was the major problem encountered during two transect locations. The estimated depth of the surveyed sites ranged from ca 0.6-2m, which required the team to SCUBA dive in one transect. The sea surface temperature was 32-33°C and salinity was at 35.0 ppt. No readings for temperature and salinity were done for the 2nd and 3rd transect. The geographical coordinates and physical attributes of the surveyed site are summarized in Table 6.

Table 6. Geographic coordinates and abiotic parameters measured in the surveyed seagrass areas. Transect Sampling Coordinates Substrate Depth Temp Salinity Time (during (°C) (ppt) N E sampling) 1300- 1 10.46113 122.65065 Sand/ silt 2-6ft 32.33 35 1600 0930- 2 10.45958 122.64573 silt/mud 4-7ft 1130 1300- 3 10.46680 122.64600 silt/mud 3-5ft 1600

The overall mean percent seagrass cover in the area was 2.11% (± SD 2.46%) (Figure -top left). This value is within the lowest range of seagrass cover in the Philippines (Table 7). The survey conducted last October 2015 by LGU-Sibunag showed an estimated percent cover of 2.8% that declined to 0.7% during the present assessment. A 5.0% decline in seagrass cover was observed, when compared to 2004 data from save the children foundation. This translates to a decrease in seagrass cover of 0.4- 0.7% annually. Heavy siltation may have contributed to the decline in seagrass cover over the years through reduced light penetration and blade surface area that limits growth.

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0 1.30

Seagrass Cover (%) Cover Seagrass 4.87 0.16 0.0 T1 T2 T3 Transect

Figure 9. Percent seagrass cover (%) (top left), species composition (bottom left) and distribution (x=present) and snapshot of the seagrass bed in Pamanculan Island, Sibunag Guimaras (right).

Only two seagrass species were observed in Sibunag, i.e. Enhalus acoroides and Thalassia hemprichii (Figure -bottom left). Previous reports from the Pamanculan Reef and Fish Sanctuary Mangement Plan (2013) indicated the presence of Syringodium isoetifolium inside the Pamanculan core zone; however, this species was not encountered during the present survey. Possible hypotheses for the absence of S. isoetifolium in our assessment include were (i) the species might be locally extinct due to physico-chemical stressors or (ii) it was missed due to very turbid waters and different monitoring stations. Enhalus acoroides and T. hemprichii were observed in Pamanculan Island (1st transect), with the latter species appearing only in the middle (40-50m segment) of the transect. Seagrass meadows in the 2nd and 3rd transect were homospecific stands of E. acoroides. The observed dominance and homogeneity of E. acoroides is consistent with the high turbidity. This large, slow-growing seagrass species is classified as a climax species (Duarte, 1991) and is known to be resilient to light reduction and enhanced sedimentation (Vermaat et al., 1995). Thus, the growth of this species is favored in silty and turbid environments, such as the ones encountered in the surveyed sites.

Table 7.Comparison of seagrass data reported for various sites in Western Visayas and Mindoro. Survey Site No. of Cover Reference Species Range Mean Sibunag, Guimaras 2 0.16-4.87 2.83 This study Unisan Is., Nva. 7 60.39-66.65 64.2 This study Valencia, Guimaras Lawi, Jordan, Guimaras 6 13.41-55.51 32.4 This study San Lorenzo, Guimaras 4 25.73-29.5 27.9 This study Concepcion, Iloilo 7 1.36-26.64 11.2 Campos et al., 2016 Carles & Estancia, Iloilo 6 0.72-40.80 13.3 Campos et al., 2014 Balabag, Boracay/ 8 47.40-74.20 62.2 Campos et al., 2013 Malay, Aklan Caluya, Antique 8 23.90-72.60 49.1 Campos et al., 2013 Sapian Bay, Capiz 2 1.10-24.70 12.4 Campos et al., 2001 Or. Mindoro 6 17.70- 32.30 26.8 Campos et al., 2009 Lubang Is., Occ. 8 33.4 Genito et al., 2010 Mindoro Gigantes Islands, 4 4.20-68.30 38.1 Campos et al., 2012 Carles, Iloilo Concepcion, Iloilo 2 1.20-18.20 12.2 Save the Children unpub. Data 2002 Ajuy, Iloilo 1 9.6 Save the Children unpub. Data 2001 Cadiz, Negros Occ 7 6.10-13.90 9.6 Campos et al., 2003 (islands) Guimaras Is. (entire 7 11.50-48.10 25.9 Babaran & Ingles, 1996 coast) Jordan, Guimaras 3 6.10-23.40 15.8 Save the Children unpub. Data 2003 Sibunag, Guimaras 4 3.30-13.20 8.1 Save the Children unpub. Data 2004 Nueva Valencia, 9 0.40-73.60 25.3 Nievales, 2009 Guimaras

A distinct horizontal zonation of seagrass was observed in the surveyed sites (Figure ). There was an abrupt increase in the percentage cover observed at the middle segments (30-50m) of the transect lines, followed by a decrease in deeper areas. Since these are average values for all three transects, the increase may be attributed to the presence of Thalassia hemprichii in the 40-50 m segment of the 1st transect. The rest of the segments were comprised of patchy but very long E. acoroides stands.

Horizontal distribution

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

Seagrass cover (%) cover Seagrass 0.0

Distance (m)

Figure 10. Horizontal distribution of seagrass for all three transects in Pamanculan Island, Sibunag, Guimaras.

Measurements of the canopy height were incomplete due to high water turbidity in the 2nd and 3rd transect, thus leaf measurements were only made in the first transect, i.e. the Pamanculan core zone. E. acoroides was the dominant species and contributed significantly to canopy complexity, hence, only this species was measured for canopy height. A tall blade length is one of the distinct characteristic of E. acoroides. High blade length (> 1m) of this species is an adaptive reproductive mechanism. Blade length ranged from 47.92 (±13.68 SD) to 99.56cm (± 16.6cm SD) (Figure ). Blade length for the first 50m was lower compared to the blade lengths of seagrass situated in deeper waters.

140 120 100 Ea 80 60 40

Canopy Height (cm) Height Canopy 20 0 0m 5m 10m 15m 20m 30m 40m 50m 60m 70m 80m 90m 100m Distance (m)

Figure 11. Horizontal distribution of Enhalus acoroides (Ea) canopy height in relation to the four dominant seagrass species in Pamanculan Island.

Major macro-invertebrate grazers were not observed in any transect. In the Pamanculan core zone, organisms encountered were a puffer fish, corals and sponges (Figure ). For the remaining two transects, no marine organisms were observed.

Figure 12. Organisms encountered along the seagrass beds of Pamanculan Island.

Soft-bottom Communities

Adjacent to the Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary were three small creeks that traversed the mangrove forests, seagrass beds and reef flat. The substrates in the estuaries were classified as sandy to muddy. Ocular observations were difficult because of the high turbidity in the area. However, gleaners were observed in the small creeks specifically targeting trapped fish, shrimps and crabs, and other invertebrates.

Water Quality

a. Physico-chemical Parameters

The temperature, salinity and pH of seawater in the six stations were measured between twelve noon and four in the afternoon. The survey date was during the summer season, which contributed to higher temperature measurements outside of the normal range (>30°C) (Tait and Dipper, 1968). Salinity and pH were within the normal ranges (Tait and Dipper, 1968; Vigil, 2003) (Table ). Only one measurement was taken for the station Pm WS6 because the water depth was less than one meter.

Table 17. Physico-chemical parameters measured in Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary during water sampling. Coordinates Temperature Salinity pH Station N E Surface Bottom Surface Bottom Surface Bottom Pm WS1 10.47433 122.65563 33.38 33.80 35.20 34.80 7.66 7.77 Pm WS2 10.47428 122.65363 33.11 33.17 34.60 34.70 7.63 7.67 Pm WS3 10.46038 122.64746 34.14 34.15 34.70 34.60 7.89 7.91 Pm WS4 10.46282 122.64787 34.12 34.11 34.60 34.60 7.89 7.91 Pm WS5 10.46725 122.65071 34.10 34.07 34.60 34.60 7.86 7.88 Pm WS6 10.46751 122.64526 35.60 - 34.60 - 7.82 - average 34.08 33.86 34.72 34.66 7.79 7.83

b. Nutrient Analysis

The nitrate concentration ranged from 0.11 to 5.50 µmole liter-1, while the phosphate concentration ranged from 0.22- 0.30 µmole liter-1 (Fig. 13 and Fig. 14). The different concentrations of nitrate and phosphate might be attributed to the horizontal gradient of this nutrient, i.e. a negative trend from the rivers (source region) towards the coastal areas (heavily depleted due to phytoplankton assimilation).

Table 18. Phosphate and Nitrate concentrations of water samples from Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary, 2016. Coordinates Phosphate Nitrate Station N E (µmole/L) (µmole/L) Pm WS1 10.47433 122.65563 0.25 0.11 Pm WS2 10.47428 122.65363 0.22 0.43 Pm WS3 10.46038 122.64746 0.22 0.28 Pm WS4 10.46282 122.64787 0.25 5.50 Pm WS5 10.46725 122.65071 0.22 0.09 Pm WS6 10.46751 122.64526 0.30 0.17

Figure 13. Nitrate concentrations in the stations assessed for water quality in Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary

Figure 12. Phosphate concentrations in the stations assessed for water quality in Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary

c. Sedimentation Analysis

The TSS results are presented in Fig. 15. The TSS levels ranged from 70 to 76 mg/liter-1. There was no significant difference between the TSS content among the different stations, probably because overall the sanctuary displayed turbid characteristics. The high load of suspended solids was attributed to terrestrial inputs from several rivers and effluents from vast fishponds near the sanctuary.

Table 19. Total Suspended Solid (TSS) concentrations of water samples from PAmanculan Reef and Fish Sanctuary, 2016.

Coordinates Station N E TSS (mg/L) Pm WS1 10.47433 122.65563 76 Pm WS2 10.47428 122.65363 76 Pm WS3 10.46038 122.64746 70 Pm WS4 10.46282 122.64787 74 Pm WS5 10.46725 122.65071 70 Pm WS6 10.46751 122.64526 72

Figure 13. TSS measurements in the stations surveyed in Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary

Among the four MPA surveyed, Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary had the highest levels of TSS content. This was not surprising given the turbid nature of the waters observed during the coral reef surveys (Figure 16). Upon disturbance by waves and currrents, silt and other solids are suspended in the water column, increasing the turbidity of the MPA. Aquatic organisms are affected by these suspended solids by smothering or clogging of their feeding and respiratory apparatuses (Tait and Dipper, 1968).

Figure 1. Snapshots of transects surveyed during coral reef assessments on May 2016, at Pamanculan Reef Fish Sanctuary

Fisheries Monitoring

Fishing Gears Overall, 14 types of fishing gear, which were further subdivided into four gear categories, were identified during the FGD in Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras (Table). The majority of the fishing gears (54.8% of the total gear units) were used to catch blue crab (Portunus pelagicus) and other crustaceans, while the remaining fishing gears were used for reef-associated species (42.9%) and pelagic fishes (2.3%). Nets were the gear type most commonly used (33.2%), followed by miscellaneous gear types (25.6%) and traps (23.3%). Hook and line only contributed to 17.8% of the total gear units. The prevalence of nets in the area could be attributed to the wide range of species targeted (reef-associated, crabs) and the different operational types, such as bottom and drifting operations.

Table 20. Fishing gear types used in Brgy. San Isidro, Sibunag, Guimaras with corresponding number of gear units and percentage contribution Fishing Gears No of gear % Total Gear Category Local Name English Name units Hook and Lines Labay Bottom set longline 100 11.7 Pamunit Hook and Line 50 5.8 17.8 Into-Into Jigger 3 0.3 Nets Palugdang Bottom set gillnet 100 11.7 Bintol Crab liftnet 50 5.8 Pukot pangkasag Crab gillnet 100 11.7 33.2 Pang-alumahan Encircling gillnet 20 2.3 Panambahan Drive-in gillnet 15 1.7 Traps Panggal Crab trap 120 14.0 Bubo sa isda Fish trap 30 3.5 23.3 Ponot Fish corral 50 5.8 Miscellaneous Panginhas Gleaning 100 11.7 Panulo Gleaning with light 100 11.7 25.6 Pamana Spearshing 20 2.3 TOTAL 858 100.0

Gear Map Figure 17 summarizes the gears used in Brgy. San Isidro. During the discussions, fishers were asked to draw and mark areas where they usually place their fishing gear.

Figure 17. Gear map showing the approximate locations of the fishing gears used in Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras

The gear map shows that Brgy. San Isidro comprises their fishing ground, with extensions to Alegria and Sebaste. The reef flats of the mainland and the nearby islands of Inampulugan, Pamanculan and Natunga were gleaned during the day and night. Fishing activities were more concentrated in the Pamanculan Sanctuary and Seraray Islands. The concentration of fishing inside the sanctuary might be the result of unclear delineation, lack of enforcement and a higher abundance of fish in this area due to protection.

Fishing Calendar and Seasonality Summarized in Table21 were the fishing gears used in Brgy San Isidro in the lean and peak months. The majority of the fishing gears were operated year-round, except for spearfishing and simple hook and line, which were only used in the months of October to May, and November to December. For the majority of the fishing gears, peak catch was during the Southwest monsoon (habagat), reaching a maximum of 20 kg for crab traps and 30 kg for bottom set gillnet, if rays were present in their catch. Fishermen practicing gleaning and spearfishing, experienced their peak catch during December, and from April to May, respectively. Drive-in gillnet, hook and line and jigger had similar catch rates throughout the year, thus there was no seasonal catch trend visible.

The peak months in Brgy. San Isidro were different relative to peak months in Central Antique (Campos et al., 2012) and Bauan, Batangas (Campos et al., 2012), with a catch peak experienced during the Northeast monsoon and summer months. This difference is attributed to the lack of landmass that shelters San Isidro during the Northeast monsoon.

Table 21. Fishing calendar and peak months of various fishing gears inventoried in Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras on May 5, 2016 Fishing gears MONTHS Local Name English Name Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Panggal Crab trap Labay Bottom set longline Palugdang Bottom set gillnet Ponot Fish corral Bintol Crab liftnet Bubo sa isda Fish trap Pukot pangkasag Crab gillnet Pang-aluman Encircling gillnet Panginhas Gleaning Panulo Gleaning with light Panambahan Drive-in gillnet Pamana Spearshing Pamunit Hook and Line Into-Into Jigger

Fisheries Production Table 22 summarizes the estimated annual production of the gear types in Barangay San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras. The overall annual production was ca. 637.52 MT. The highest production (288MT) was due to crab traps (panggal), which might be a function of the gears’ high number of units and average catch. This was followed by bottom set longline (labay) and bottom set gillnet (palugdang) with 72MT and 60MT, respectively. Production estimates for spearfishing, hook and line and jigger were relatively low (<5MT).

Catch Rates Gears with high CPUE were crab traps, bottom set longlines and bottom set gillnets (2.0 – 3.3 kg/fisher/trip) (Figure 18). The volume of production of these three gears constituted the bulk of the fishery production (66%) in Barangay San Isidro, with an estimated volume of 420MT. Jigger showed a comparable CPUE (2.0 kg/fisher/trip) as bottom set gillnets, but had the lowest contribution to the total production as this gear had the lowest number of gear units. 350 3.5 Est. Annual catch (MT) 300 3.0 Ave catch/fisher/trip 250 2.5

200 2.0

150 1.5

100 1.0 Ave. cacth/fisher/trip Est. Est. Annual Catch (MT)

50 0.5

0 0.0

Fishing gears

Figure 18. Estimated annual production and catch rate per fisher per trip of fishing gears used in Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras based on the FGD conducted on May 5, 2016

Fishing Effort In Barangay San Isidro, crab traps recorded the highest contribution (45.2%) and estimated annual production (288MT) because this fishing gear had the highest number of gear units and average catch (Table 22). In terms of fishing effort, crab traps consistently required a high effort, except for the number of fishing days/year, since this gear was operated at an average of only 20 days per month. Jigger on the other hand recorded the lowest fishing effort, but also the lowest production estimates (Table 22 and

Table23). Only three units of jigger were reported during the FGD, however, this value might have been underestimated. It is therefore important to verify the data presented here through either a systematic monitoring or a gear inventory.

Table 22. Catch matrix for Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag Guimaras generated during the FGD on May 5, 2016 No of Ave. # of # of # of fishing # of Est. % Fishing Gears gear Kg/trip fishers/ hrs/ days/mos fishing Annual contribution units trip trip mos/yr catch Local Name English Name (MT)

Panggal Crab trap 120 10.0 3 12 20 12 288.0 45.2 Labay Bottom set longline 100 6.0 2 3 10 12 72.0 11.3 Palugdang Bottom set gillnet 100 5.0 3 3 10 12 60.0 9.4 Ponot Fish corral 50 3.0 2 24 30 12 54.0 8.5 Bintol Crab liftnet 50 2.0 2 8 30 12 36.0 5.6 Bubo sa isda Fish trap 30 3.0 3 3 days 30 12 32.4 5.1 Pukot pangkasag Crab gillnet 100 2.5 3 12 10 12 30.0 4.7 Pang-aluman Encircling gillnet 20 7.5 5 2 15 12 27.0 4.2 Panginhas Gleaning 100 1.0 1 2 10 12 12.0 1.9 Panulo Gleaning with light 100 1.0 1 2 10 12 12.0 1.9 Panambahan Drive-in gillnet 15 5.0 3 3 10 12 9.0 1.4 Pamana Spearshing 20 1.5 1 3 10 8 2.4 0.4 Pamunit Hook and Line 50 1.0 1 3 10 4 2.0 0.3 Into-Into Jigger 3 2.0 1 3 10 12 0.7 0.1 637.52 100.0

Table 23. Ranking of fishing gear by various measures of fishing effort in Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras based on fisheries profiling conducted on May 5, 2016 No. of No. of No. of gear No. of Fishing gear Fishing gear Fishing gear fishing Fishing gear fishing Units fishers trips/yr days/yr Crab trap 120 Crab trap 360 Crab trap 28800 Fish corral 360 Bottom set longline 100 Bottom set gillnet 250 Fish corral 18000 Crab liftnet 360 Bottom set gillnet 100 Crab gillnet 250 Crab liftnet 18000 Fish trap 360 Crab gillnet 100 Bottom set longline 200 Bottom set longline 12000 Crab trap 240 Gleaning 100 Fish corral 100 Bottom set gillnet 12000 Encircling gillnet 180 Gleaning with light 100 Encircling gillnet 100 Crab gillnet 12000 Bottom set longline 120 Fish corral 50 Gleaning 100 Gleaning 12000 Bottom set gillnet 120 Crab liftnet 50 Gleaning with light 100 Gleaning with light 12000 Crab gillnet 120 Hook and Line 50 Fish trap 90 Fish trap 10800 Gleaning 120 Fish trap 30 Crab liftnet 75 Encircling gillnet 3600 Gleaning with light 120 Encircling gillnet 20 Hook and Line 50 Hook and Line 2000 Drive-in gillnet 120 Spearfishing 20 Drive-in gillnet 45 Drive-in gillnet 1800 Jigger 120 Drive-in gillnet 15 Spearfishing 20 Spearfishing 1600 Spearfishing 80 Jigger 3 Jigger 3 Jigger 360 Hook and Line 40 TOTAL 858 TOTAL 1743 TOTAL 144960 TOTAL 2460 Catch Composition Overall, Portunus pelagicus (kasag) dominated the catch composition in Brgy. San isidro, followed by manta rays (pagi), Nemipterus sp. (lagaw) Siganus spp. (ngisi-ngisi) and Pomadasys spp. (olibalay) (Figure 19). The other species that contributed to the remainder of the catch composition were summarized as other fish species and invertebrates (applicable for e.g. shrimp, squids and gastropods). The predominance of Portunus pelagicus in San Isidro is consistent with the high number of gear units targeting this species (crab traps, crab liftnet and crab gillnet).

Other invertebrates 6% Other fish 24%

Portunus pelagicus 52%

Pomadasys spp. 3%

Siganus spp. 4% Nemipterus spp. Dasyatidae 5% 6% Figure 19. Overall catch composition (%) of fishing gears used in Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras

A list of identified species is presented in Table 24 together with their corresponding family. A total of 21 families of fish and five families of invertebrates were identified during the FGDs. Reef- associated species were the most diverse group of targeted species, with several pelagic fish species. Of the 21 fish families, four families (Haemulidae, Leiognathidae, Lutjanidae and Siganidae) contained at least two species, while only one species was identified for each of the other families. In terms of invertebrates, Penaeidae and Portunidae were the most diverse families with two and three recorded species, respectively.

Table 24. Identified species during the FGD in Brgy. San Isidro Sibunag, Guimaras Fish Fish Family Local name Family Local name Belonidae Tambilawan Plotosidae Ito Cleupeidae Tabagak Scaridae Moy-moy Congridae Indong Scianidae Abo-abo Dasyatidae Pagi Serranidae Inid Engraulidae Bolinaw Siganidae Ngisi-ngisi Haemulidae Olibalay Samaral Alatan Sphyraenidae Lansang-lansang Hemiramphidae Balitos Teraponidae Bugaong Labridae Dalang-dalang Invertebrates Leiognathidae Dalinu-an Family Local name Sapsap Nephropidae Banagan Lethrinidae Kilawan Penaeidae Pasayan Lutjanidae Aluman Lukon Mangagat Portunidae Kasag Mugilidae Gusaw Dawat Mullidae Salmonete Alimango Nemipteridae Lagaw Strombidae Kinhason Loligonidae Nukos

Perceived Issues and Concerns The people in the community of Brgy. San Isidro are also engaged in farming, coal production (wood), carpentry work and as “habal-habal” drivers. Hence, they do not rely strictly on fishing for livelihood. This may explain why the average fishing days per month were only 10-15 days, with an exception for stationary fishing gears (e.g. crab traps, fish corrals). The major fishing expenditures were attributed to gasoline, followed by the maintenance of fishing materials, food and bait.

The problems experienced by the fishermen were a decrease in their catch relative to the 1980’s – 1990’s, the size of their catch shifted to the dominance of smaller sized individuals, and the local extinction of several target species. All of these observations are signs of overfishing that caused a reduction in size (growth overfishing), abundance, and the local extinctions of several vulnerable target species.

Moreover, the encroachment of commercial fishermen from Negros and Iloilo may also have contributed significantly to the overfished fish stocks. Commercial fishing vessels are not permitted to operate within the municipal waters as stipulated in the Philippine fisheries code because of the displacement of municipal fishers and the potential destruction of benthic habitat. However, this law is often not enforced on the ground. To counteract this threat, the fishers suggested the drafting of a resolution and/or ordinance that prohibits illegal fishing in the municipal fishing grounds. In addition, enforcement and surveillance should improve and be applied to their MPAs.

Currently, the Pamanculan Fish Sanctuary has a management council that has regular meetings. They also drafted a management plan that spans five years (2013-2018), with assistance from KOICA. However, it was not indicated if the MPA activities listed in the management plan were conducted. Although, the MPA management plan and management body were already established, the barangay ordinance for the MPA has yet to be drafted. Moreover, a proper delineation of the MPA (i.e. using marker buoys) and the establishment of an MPA guardhouse have not been accomplished.

Appendix Hard Corals

Platygyra acuta Galaxea fascicularis

Hydnophora exesa Lobophyllia hemperichii

Platygyra rugosa Goniopora minor

Echinopora lamellosa Polyphyllia talpina