DANAJON BANK DOUBLE BARRIER REEF: A Unique and Valuable Resource The FISHERIES IMPROVED FOR SUSTAINABLE HARVEST Project Location of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef LEYTE CEBU BOHOL Why “Danajon” ¾ Danajon comes from a local name “dahunan” (according to Barangay Captain Sanso Avenido of Ubay). “Dahunan is a local name of a stingray that looks like a leaf and was abundant before.” ¾ A second version of danajon comes from the local word “nanahun”, meaning “it is full of leaves.” The story of “nanahun” was told by SB Wayne Evardo of Talibon: “a long time ago, fishermen could catch a huge number of fish just like a bunch of leaves using multiple hooks and line…or, it’s amazing to catch a great number of fish just like a tree branch full of leaves.” LGU jurisdiction over the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef There are 17 municipalities and cities covering 4 provinces with direct jurisdiction over the Danajon Bank. These are: BOHOL CEBU The Provincial Government and the Provincial Government and the LGUs of Tubigon, Clarin, Inabanga, City of Lapu-Lapu and Buenavista, Getafe, Talibon, Bien Municipality of Cordova Unido, Ubay, Trinidad and President Garcia Island SOUTHERN LEYTE LEYTE Provincial Government and Provincial Government and Municipality of Maasin Municipalities of Hilongos, Hindang, Bato and Matalom Effective coordination between 16 LGUs, 1 city and 4 Provincial Governments is needed for the proper rehabilitation and management of the Danajon Bank. Why protect this reef complex ¾ Provide “food security” for people around the Danajon Bank by ensuring a supply of fish and marine organisms which sustains their livelihood and main source of protein ¾ Increase the potential in the area for ecotourism development ¾ Maintain the biodiversity of the Double Barrier Reef for multiple reasons What is a Double Barrier Reef? ¾ Double barrier reefs are very rare geological phenomena built by coral growth. ¾ The Danajon Bank is the only barrier reef in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. ¾ Danajon Double Barrier Reef is approximately 6,000 years old. ¾ Unlike the Australian Great barrier reef with only one barrier, the Danajon Bank has two barrier reefs, side by side, a unique formation. ¾ The parallel barriers grew up with corals on top of older subsiding islands. Danajon Reef Statistics Consolidated data on the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef includes whole reef from Cebu (Lapu- Lapu [Caubyan Island] to Leyte and Bohol Municipalities from Tubigon to President Carlos P. Garcia Island) Caubyan reef Calituban reef Total for (outer) (inner) whole Double Barrier Reef Range of 0.3 to 4.06 km 0.13 to 4.27 km width of reef Total Area 143.3 km2 128.4 km2 271.7 km2* Total Length 132.3 km 249.2 km 381.5 km • Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef covers an area over 1% of the total coral reef of the Philippines estimated to be 27,000 sq. km. Structure of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef To Camotes Islands To Bohol Mainland 25 km 5 km Adapted from Pichon, M. 1977 What is the value of the Double Barrier Reef? ¾ The area in and surrounding the Double Barrier Reef is composed of coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass habitats in shallow and relatively well protected waters. ¾ It has been supplying Cebu, Leyte, Southern Leyte and Bohol with food for centuries. ¾ It provides livelihood for communities relying on it for fishing and subsistence activities. ¾ It provides protection to the Islands from typhoons, and storms. ¾ It acts as a huge “sea bank” and breeding area for fishes and coral reef animals and supplies large amounts of young fishes and larvae upon which the rest of Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, and Southern Leyte depend. ¾ Reef sanctuaries attract divers who pay user fees. Diagram of the bird flyway which crosses the Olango areas and the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef Sustainable annual net economic revenues (direct and indirect) per km2 of typical healthy coral reef in the Philippines with tourism potential Resource use Production range Potential annual revenue (US$) (range) Sustainable fisheries 10 to 30 ton 12,000 – 36,000 (local consumption) Sustainable fisheries 0.5 to 1 ton 4,000 – 8,000 (live fish export) Tourism 100 to 1,000 persons 3,000 – 30,000 (on-site residence) Tourism 500 to 1,000 persons 3,000 – 6,000 (off-site residence) Coastal protection 5,000 – 25,000 (prevention of erosion) Aesthetic/Biodiversity Value 600 to 2,000 persons 2,400 – 8,000 (willingness-to-pay) Total 29,400 – 113,000 (White and Cruz-Trinidad 1998) OneOne kmkm2 ofof reefreef isis worthworth betweenbetween 29,40029,400 andand 113,000113,000 US$US$ perper yearyear ifif managedmanaged wellwell –– DanajonDanajon hashas 270270 kmkm2 ofof reefreef whichwhich couldcould bebe worthworth atat leastleast 88 MillionMillion US$US$ perper yearyear ifif managed.managed. ButBut thethe presentpresent situationsituation isis notnot soso good…good… What is the current status of the Double Barrier Reef? ¾ The decline of the Danajon Bank began in the 1950’s due to rampant illegal fishing, blasting and over-fishing. ¾ This was compounded in the 1960’s with the aquarium fish trade and the use of sodium cyanide. ¾ Illegal actions have continued to the present. ¾ Sedimentation has steadily increased in recent years as land use has intensified. Marginal fishers are catching fewer fish every year Dynamite fishing introduced during Second World War; 20 plant poisons used regularly 18 Poison fishing with the use of cyanide and other chemicals 16 started ) y 14 y a /d r da 12 r Fine-mesh nets, e trawls and intensive h 10 but destructive s fishing gears h pe i introduced tc 8 g/f Monofilament nets and fine-mesh nets Ca (k introduced 6 “High-tech” commercial fishing and “high-tech” fishing gears and lights 4 introduced 2 0 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Ye a r Graph shows decreasing fish catch of marginal fishers in Bohol, Cebu, Leyte and Southern Leyte as measured by catch per unit effort (kilograms per fisher per day) plotted against time. Fish catch decline results from: ¾ Habitat destruction through dynamite fishing and use of poisons to target aquarium species and live food fish capture (groupers) ¾ Trawling, using fine mesh nets which literally ‘plough’ the bottom and destroy everything in their path. ¾ Illegal intrusion of commercial fishing operators into the reef area ¾ OVERFISHING Coral reef status in the Danajon Bank at 12 survey sites 25% 3 Sites 75% FAIR 9 Sites POOR Fair –25 –49.9% Live coral cover Poor – 0 – 24.9% Live coral cover Calumpong 2004 Coastal Law Enforcement Issues Species diversity for the six locations 250 s ie c e p 200 S f o . 150 o N surveyed in 2004 100 50 0 Bilangbilangan Hingutanan T o T ta a l Tintiman r S In get pec di c S i a p e to ec s r S ie Guindakpan pec s ie s Basiao Bantigui Balicasag Island Calum White et. al. 2003 p ong 2 004 Mean reef fish densities for reserves or proposed reserves and neighboring fished reefs (n=6). 4500 4000 2 3500 3000 fish/500m2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Basiao Res Bantigui No e rv n e -R e s e Hingutanan r ve Bilangbilangan Guindakpan Tintiman Balicasag Calum White et. al. 2003 p ong 2 004 Mean target fish densities for reserves or proposed reserves and neighboring fished reefs (n=6). 1600 1400 2 1200 1000 fish/500m800 600 400 200 0 Basiao Bantigui Re No se r n ve -Re s Hingutanan e r ve Bilangbilangan Guindakpan Tintiman Balicasag Calum White et. al. 2003 p ong 2 004 Total reef fish biomass for reserves or proposed reserves and n 35 30 2 25 20 kg/500m e 15 ighboring fished reefs (n=6). 10 5 0 Basiao Bantigui Re Hingutanan N s o e n rv reser e ve Bilangbilangan Guindakpan Tintiman Calum p ong 2 004 Piscivore reserves and neighboring fished reefs (n=6). 3 2. 2 5 b iomass for reserves or proposed 2 kg/500m1. 5 1 0. 5 0 Basiao Bantigui Re s N e Hingutanan o r n ve res er ve Bilangbilangan Guindakpan Tintiman Calum p ong 2 004 Densely populated coastal island Social problems that contribute to and are caused by reef and fisheries decline ¾ Low access of local people to basic services, health services, potable water, etc. ¾ Low education levels especially in the islands ¾ High population growth rate and density of people Opportunities to Support Solutions ¾ Danajon needs an “ecosystem approach” to management ¾ See the big picture – Danajon is a large ecosystem that functions as a unit ¾ Danajon is a resource that can support people into perpetuity ¾ Development of a strong law enforcement component for the Danajon Bank area ¾ On going conduct of a baselining process and profiling of the whole area to lead to the development of an integrated management plan for the Danajon Bank area MPAs in Bohol:120 municipal—5 NIPAS Ecosystem Management: Shift in Approach for Danajon From To Individual species Ecosystems/connected areas Small spatial scale Multiple scales (LGUs) Short-term perspective Long-term perspective Humans independent of Humans as integral parts of ecosystems ecosystems Management divorced from Adaptive management that uses research research results Managing commodities Sustained production potential for ecosystem goods and services through habitat protection fishery management etc. Lubchenco (1994) in Sherman and Duda (1999) Location of the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef and the LGUs with Jurisdiction What we stand to gain? (Annual revenue per km2 based on Olango Island – 1999) 2000 2010 Reef fisheries Consumption 4 – 6 ton $8,400 $16,800 a Export .2 - .4 ton Tourism on site 0 off site 50 – 80 persons $390 $585 b Coastal Not available 0 0 Protection Aesthetic 0 $2,050 c (Biodiversity values) $8,790 $19,435 Total (270 km2 $2,373,000 $5,247,000 of reef) a.