CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES IN MALAMPAYA SOUND: A PROTECTED SEASCAPE1

Hermenegildo P Dela Peňa, MSc Director, Intellectual Property Rights Office STATE UNIVERSITY

1Paper presented during the 1st Palawan Research and Policy Symposium ’13, 07-08 November 2013, A & A Plaza Hotel, City

• BACKGROUND

• RRA FRAMEWORK

• FINDINGS

• CONCLUSION

• BIG CHALLENGE? BACKGROUND MALAMPAYA SOUND • Taytay, Palawan • ‘Fish Bowl’ of the • 245 km2 estuary • 423 km2 catchment area (PCSDS 2006) • ≈ ⅓ of 2,000 km2 MSPLS • Irrawaddy dolphin • 60 commercial fish species • Vital for the country’s food security OBJECTIVES Identify cross-cutting issues in Malampaya Sound that contribute significantly to its major habitat degradation and the subsequent decline in fish stocks. Specifically, it aims to:

• Assess the status of and coral reefs in Liminangcong, Tumbod, San Jose, and Banbanan;

• Determine the uses and threats to these ecosystems; and

• Describe other fishery-related issues in the study area RRA FRAMEWORK

SECONDARY DATA RECONNAISSANCE/ • CLUP ANALYSIS FIELD OBSERVATION • SEMP

STAKEHOLDERS’ FIELD DATA VALIDATION GATHERING WORKSHOP • 47 Fishers in (FGD,HHI)* 4 FGDs (MUNICIPAL LEVEL) • 113 HHs

Systems description of the rapid rural appraisal process in Malampaya Sound (Modified from Pido et al. 1996, 1997, and Garces et al. 2010).

______*FGD – Focus Group Discussion HHI – Household Interview (SocMon) FINDINGS: MANGROVES

USES: • Boat landing • Crab habitat • Fishing/Gleaning • Wood harvesting (charcoal making, house repair)

THREATS FINDINGS: MANGROVES

Sitio Leba, Liminangcong

Sitio Malaya, Banbanan FINDINGS: CORAL REEFS

USES: • Fishing • Gleaning

THREATS: Hulbot-hulbot Dynamite FINDINGS: FISHERS & MAJOR GEARS

• Ratio of fishers to population ≈ 20% • Density of fishers ≈23 fishers/km2 • Heavily exploited

60-80% decrease in catch of hook and line in the last 3 years. FINDINGS: DECLINING FISH CATCH

FINDINGS: OTHER ISSUES

BILGE OUT FROM LARGE SHIPS (TANKERS): • OIL SPILL • DEATH OF SHELLS BIG Challenge?

FISH BOWL

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

BUSINESS AS USUAL TRASH BASKET RECOMMENDATIONS

The challenge to all stakeholders is to reverse the declining trend in fisheries productivity of Malampaya Sound, a resource-rich ecosystem. These are known to fishers and they themselves suggest that resource managers will have to: (1) enforce the law, arrest violators and confiscate all illegal fishing paraphernalia including the fishing boat; (2) PAMB to implement a sustainable management plan so that their major problems on the operation of Hulbot-hulbot along Worcester Strait and dynamite fishing in Bolalo Bay would be addressed and these destructive fishing methods will be stopped; (3) tap universities to train fishers on resource conservation and sustainable management; and (4) LGU shall issue “fisher’s license” to qualified individuals and only those with licenses are to be allowed to fish. RECOMMENDATIONS

Finally, they suggested the creation of a fishery resource management body akin to a development authority with 60-40 percent private-government participation to ensure sustainable management of the Malampaya Sound. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Our sincere thanks to the following: • Dr. Jeter S Sespeňe • Mun. Agriculture Office, Taytay • Dr. Michael D Pido • Officials • Engr. Maria Rosario Aynon A Gonzales • BFARMCs • Prof. Marissa S Pontillas • Liminangcong Fishers’ Association • Ms. Marie Gianina S Decano • Malampaya Foundation, Inc. • Ms. Eva Marie C Ponce de Leon • PSU Center for Strategic Policy & • Ms. Mary Aileen M de las Alas Governance • Ms. Alarcon (PSU Taytay) • Concerned Stakeholders • Field staff, enumerators, boat crew THANK YOU. [email protected]