The Philippines's Tubbataha Reef Marine Park

**** International Herald Tribune | ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT | Fr i d ay ,Nove m b e r 28, 2008 5 Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, a Unesco World Heritage site in the Philippines, offers a stunning diversity of marine life, but its vastness and isolation make it difficult to monitor A school of pennant bannerfish. SPOTLIGHT | From hawksbill turtles to coral sand caves The Philippines’s Tubbataha Reef Marine Park: A pristine coral reef in the Sulu Sea The World Heritage program Unesco World Heritage sites, no eography has made the Philip- means that monitoring human activities the Philippines had begun casting their nets ner at the demanding end who has reques- mutual experience-sharing: ‘‘In addition to matter where they are located, pines’s Tubbataha Reefs unique. within the 33,200-hectare (82,000 acres) here; the decline of fisheries elsewhere in ted financial or technical support. We’re a the specific business-planning support belong to all people of the world, for G They lie in the middle of the Sulu Tubbataha Reef Marine Park is a more diffi- the nation forced them to seek new revenue clearinghouse for connecting partners, provided to managers of World Heritage all time. Cultural and natural Sea, a vast area whose remoteness has cult task. The Philippine Navy, Coast Guard sources. At the same time, motorized ves- matching the demand and the offer.’’ sites, business managers from Shell Foun- heritage sites are irreplaceable helped keep the reefs unspoiled. Unesco’s and representatives from a local community sels began replacing traditional paddle craft Such a matchupwas made in a project dation and Shell — with little previous sources of biological life and World Heritage Centre calls the Tubbataha patrol the area, and the year-round pres- or sailboats, then larger ships from China between the World Heritage Centre and the knowledge or experience of conservation — inspiration. They are what we live Reef Marine Park ‘‘an excellent example of a ence of park rangers since 1997 has helped started showing up, taking home large Tubbataha park management, in which the gained valuable insights about the manage- with today, and what we will pass pristine coral reef with lagoons and two cor- fight problems like illegal fishing. Though catches. Anglers even resorted to destruc- Shell Foundation, an independent charity in ment of areas of rich biological diversity.’’ on to future generations. The global al islands.’’ rangers are equipped with tive fishing methods, in- London, provided training for site managers Tubbataha’s World Heritage listing opens community comes together through One reason for its protection as a World patrol boats, radar and The remoteness of this cluding the use of dynam- in the basic business-planning skills of run- other doors to private companies. Petron, a World Heritage. With its ongoing Heritage site is its location in what is known GPS equipment, poaching ite and poisons. As at ning a protected area. Says Van Oers: ‘‘Shell Philippine oil company, is financing the long- technical support, fund-raising, site as the Coral Triangle. Explains Unesco Pro- remains rampant. Each vast area helps keep other World Heritage wanted to do something with World Herit- overdue embedment mooring system and a monitoring and training workshops, gram Specialist Ron Van Oers, ‘‘This area is year, a number of local or the reefs unspoiled sites, combating this age, and this pilot project was set up. We’re five-year community development project; the Unesco program showcases recognized as the birthplace of coral spe- foreign fishermen are ap- menace is often a matter trying to look beyond just protecting the park the latter includes summer fellowships for precise needs at specific sites, cies and the world center for hard coral di- prehended. As recently as of building local aware- because of its biodiversity, to see how it can students to engage with local communities highlighting action to be taken versity.’’ From there, notes Van Oers, corals Oct. 23, the Philippine News Agency report- ness in the neighboring communities, who generate benefits that can be used for man- — working, for example, in seaweed farm- there, then repeated elsewhere. As have migrated into the rest of the world’s ed that park rangers caught 45 fishermen need the park and make use of it. agement.’’ In his preface to ‘‘Business Plan- ing. The island municipality of Cagayancillo, an engagement and partnership, tropical areas. A huge diversity, especially in gathering a threatened marine species in- Successful conservation efforts often ning for Natural World Heritage Sites — A which has political jurisdiction over Tubba- World Heritage shows what nations hard corals, can be found here, and Tubba- side the no-take reserve; the rangers confis- rely on partnerships to build, and then ex- Toolkit,’’ prepared by Unesco and Shell taha, relies heavily on seaweed farming and can and should do worldwide. taha is at the very heart of it. The diversity, cated 132 sacks of the topshell Trochus tend, the communities concerned. These Foundation, Chris West, the foundation’s forwent fishing rights to Tubbataha when it Visit http://whc.unesco.org Van Oers adds, extends to marine and other niloticus, locally known as samong, worth can include agreements with government in- deputy director, describes the project as was declared a marine reserve. TUASON SCOTT IMAGES: ALL animals, too. ‘‘There’s a huge range of fish, one million Philippine pesos ($20,000). stitutes and nonprofit organizations. But the and at the surface one sees lots of coral Taking samong or any other endangered private sector is also joining up to see how it sand caves housing thousands of sea species is punishable by 12 to 20 years in can help Tubbataha park management fight birds.’’ Tubbataha also harbors important prison and/or a 120,000 peso fine, but threats to the site’s conservation. habitats for threatened sea species — in poachers risk it, according to the Philippine After a site is inscribed as World Herit- particular, hawksbill turtles and green daily Business Mirror, because dealers buy age, Unesco stays involved by bringing turtles. All this makes Tubbataha Reefs a topshells for about 150 pesosa kilo, re- stakeholders together to discuss current wide, open-air laboratory where scientists selling them at 400 pesos a kilo. challenges in that site’s preservation and can study the biological and ecological pro- The poaching problem is not new. management. Notes Van Oers, ‘‘At Unesco cesses of the area’s reef systems. Though its inaccessibility and isolation once Paris, we get requests from private-sector The vast remoteness that makes Tubba- shielded Tubbataha from overexploitation, companies who want to help conservation taha special is also a challenge because it by the 1980s, fishermen from other parts of of World Heritage. Our role is to seek a part- EXPLORING | The jewel of Palawan Hard to reach, and worth the effort etting there isn’t easy. To reach says. ‘‘Go underwater and let yourself drift Tubbataha Reefs, visitors usually for 45 minutes. You’ll be surrounded by G take a one-hour flight from Manila to thousands of individual species of fish. I saw Puerto Princesa City in Palawan, then a boat. a family of 50 humphead wrasse grazing These are usually piloted by dive-tour oper- close to the reef. They didn’t move at all, and ators, and many leave Puerto Princesa late I could watch them for several minutes. I’ve in the day and only haul in to Tubbataha the been diving almost everywhere, but have following morning. Although monsoons never seen a family of 50 humphead churn uprough seas from July to October wrasse this big. It was amazing. This is a true and from November to March, limiting the World Heritage experience. And that is quite diving season to March through June, the rare nowadays.’’ World Heritage site that Filipinos call ‘‘the Recent initiatives, taken by park man- jewel of Palawan’’ remains a magnet for agement in the Philippines, as well as by the Close encounters: A manta ray in Tubbataha. tourists, divers and marine scientists. local chapter of the World Wildlife Fund, Tubbataha Reefs serve as a breeding seek to attract nondivers to Tubbataha new public the marvels of what was the ex- ground for many species, offering occa- Reefs. Unesco, in cooperation with local and clusive playground of divers. sions to observe hundreds of coral and fish, national authorities, is trying to create op- The initiative opens other parts of the na- dolphins, whales and even nesting sea portunities for visitors to spend more time tion to people who ordinarily come only to turtles. The Palawan Council for Sustainable in, and attention on, regions surrounding Tubbataha to dive. Says Van Oers: ‘‘It offers Development says, ‘‘Tubbataha’s trade- World Heritage sites. Now on offer at Tubba- the wonders of Palawan, which has caves mark among the world’s divers is its coral taha Reefs from March through May are and forests, and the Visayas, where visitors walls with extensive colonies of fish.’’ World Heritage Expeditions. These start in can experience local cultures. We’re trying to Ron Van Oers, a Unesco program spe- Palawan, visiting the Puerto Princesa Sub- get people to not only fly in, spend five days cialist in the Special Projects Unit and a keen terranean River National Park — a World diving at Tubbataha, then fly out. We want diver, visited Tubbataha Reefs in April. He Heritage site — and Tubbataha Reefs; they them to make a two- or three-week trip to notes that in marine protected areas, corals move on to the Visayas to visit the church of the Philippines. The central part can be are usually healthy, which is not always the Miagao in Iloilo, one of the country’s four Tubbataha for diving, but we’d like them to case for fish.

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