In country
Is muro-ami back?
Reports of muro-ami operations employing children resurfaced
this month after 16 boys, all minors, escaped from f/b Prince Arnold,
a fishing vessel, allegedly because of abuses by supervisors.
Muro-ami, a fishing method employing divers to drive fish into
a net, has been banned in the Philippines since the 1980s. Its destructive
effects on coral habitats and use of minors as divers are well-documented.
The divers, often children, are lowered in an airboat into the sea to
a depth of about 30-90 feet. Using metal weights, they would then pound
on the corals to drive fish out of the corals and into the net.
The boys claimed they lived in cramped conditions at sea and were maltreated,
sometimes made to stand under the sun for hours as punishment for not
working. They jumped ship last November 23 after their "maestro"
(supervisor) confined them in the engine room for two days to prevent
Navy patrols from discovering their presence on the ship.
Article 139 of the Labor Code prohibits the employment of children below
18 years old in "hazardous" work, including "deep sea
fishing" and others which expose children to "dangerous environmental
elements." Hiring minors below 15 years old for any kind of work
in public or private establishments is banned under Republic Act. No.
7658, except when parental consent and permit from the labor department
have been obtained, and the work poses no risk to the child's safety.
f/b Prince Arnold is operated by ASO Fishing Corporation, which is owned
by a political clan based in Cebu. The company denied it is hiring minors
and claimed all its employees are at least 18 years old "because
they cannot sign a contract if they are minors."
The company, the boat's captain, master fisherman, and the recruiter
of the fish workers were charged with violating section 92 of Republic
Act 8550 (the Philippine Fisheries Code), which prohibits the use
of muro-ami and other methods and gear that destroy coral reefs, seagrass
beds and other marine habitats. If convicted, they can be sentenced
to up to 10 years in prison and fined Php100,000 to Php500,000 (US$2,500
to US$12,500 at Php40=US$1).
Meanwhile, the labor department is conducting its own investigation
of the alleged violations by the company of the Labor Code.
J Napallacan, FJ Dungog in Cebu Daily News. 12.14.99/12.16.99/12.19.99
Jellyfish causes power outage
Officials of the government-owned National Power Corporation claimed
hundreds of jellyfish caused last December 10's massive blackout, which
plunged the islands of Luzon and Leyte in darkness. They said the jellyfish
were sucked into the cooling system of the Sual power plant in Pangasinan,
forcing the plant's shutdown.
Power was gradually restored after several hours, but not before the
blackout triggered rumors of a coup d'etat and caused massive traffic
jams in Metro Manila.
The Senate has ordered an inquiry into the power corporation's "jellyfish
story". Various sources. 12.16.99
Seaweed exporter expects recovery
Philippine seaweed exporter Shemberg Corporation chalked up receipts
amounting to about US$34 million from exports of seaweed products. This
is turnaround for the company, which struggled with loan repayments
at the height of last year's currency crisis.
Shemberg exports raw seaweed, semi-refined carrageenan, and refined
carrageenan. From January to November 1999, it exported about US$21
million worth of semi-refined carrageenan and US$13 million worth of
refined carrageenan.
Despite the apparent recovery, however, the company's creditors have
yet to agree to convert Shemberg's debts to equity.
IR Sino Cruz in Cebu Daily News, 12.16.99
Overseas
Florida importer sentenced in landmark coral smuggling
case
A Florida man and his company were sentenced today in the first successful
felony prosecution ever for illegal coral trafficking. Petros "Pete"
Leventis will serve 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised
release and pay a $5,000 fine and a $200 special assessment for his
role in a smuggling operation that used false declarations, invoices,
and shipping documents to circumvent United States and Philippine laws
as well as international trade restrictions that protect corals and
other marine species. His company, Greek Island Imports, was fined $25,000,
sentenced to five years probation, and ordered to pay an $800 special
assessment in U.S. District Court in Tampa.
The interception of this shipment
of protected corals and
seashells in July 1997 led to the federal probe of Leventis
and his company.
A federal investigation by the US
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Division of Law Enforcement and
the US Customs Service, said Leventis smuggled internationally protected
corals and seashells from the Philippines to the United States.
"Coral reefs are among
the world's most biologically diverse and economically important ecosystems;
they are also among the most imperiled," said FWS Director Jamie
Rappaport Clark. "Stopping illegal coral trade is a vital part
of US and international efforts to save these resources."
In August 1999, a federal jury found Leventis and his company guilty
of smuggling and violating the Lacey Act, a federal statute that makes
it a crime to import or export wildlife taken in violation of a foreign,
state, tribal, or other US law.
"Trafficking in endangered species like coral threatens aquatic
ecosystems," said Lois Schiffer, Assistant Attorney General for
the Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources. "Let
the message be clear: We will take whatever steps we can here and abroad
to stop the black market in endangered species and protect coral reefs."
Commercial exploitation is a serious threat to the survival of the world's
reefs, more than half of which are considered at risk because of human
activities. Dangers range from unsustainable trade and destructive fishing
practices to coastal development and marine pollution. Large-scale degradation
of reefs has already occurred in east Africa, south and southeast Asia,
parts of the Pacific, and the Caribbean.
Concern for reef conservation prompted the Philippines to ban the export
of corals in 1977. Many of the species targeted by Leventis, including
the blue, organ-pipe, branch, brush, staghorn, finger, brown stem, mushroom,
and feather corals, have been listed on Appendix II of the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) since 1985. Such species may not be legally traded without
proper documentation from the country where they are collected.
"Profiteering at the expense of coral reefs will not go unchecked,"
Clark said. "As the world's largest consumer of corals and other
reef species, the United States is leading the way to ensure that demand
for these marine treasures does not ultimately destroy them."
Leventis' smuggling activities came to the government's attention in
July 1997 when a 40-foot shipping container loaded with some 400 boxes
and packages of coral and sea shells arrived in Tampa. Special agents
of the Fish and Wildlife Service and US Customs Service then documented
a six-year series of transactions involving protected corals and seashells
between Leventis and Esther Flores, the owner of a Philippine seashell
and souvenir exporting business.
In November 1998, Leventis and Flores were indicted on smuggling and
wildlife charges. The Justice Department in February 1999 filed papers
with the Philippines seeking the extradition of Flores.
Leventis' Lacey Act and smuggling convictions were tied to the July
1997 shipment to Tampa, as well as an illegal 1993 coral importation.
The case was jointly prosecuted by the US Attorney's Office for the
Middle District of Florida and the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section
of the US Department of Justice. US
FWS, 12.02.99
US survey notes low awareness of how individuals
affect ocean health By Cat Lazaroff
NEW YORK, New York, December 2, 1999 (ENS) - Americans are very aware
of the importance of the world's oceans, according to a new poll released
this week, but only a small percentage of Americans realize that actions
by individuals represent the biggest threat to ocean health. Conservation
groups note that there are countless ways that people can reduce their
impact on marine species and the state of the oceans. Full
text and graphics
CRMP News
Learning areas report 1999 results
The Coastal Resource Management
Project (CRMP) has achieved improved coastal resource management
(CRM) over 719 kms in eight provinces, reports from the project's "learning"
and "expansion" areas indicate. The eight provinces are Cebu,
Bohol, Negros Oriental, Sarangani, Davao del Sur, Palawan, Batangas
and Leyte. Kilometers were counted in those municipalities that achieved
three indicators of improved CRM: budget allocated for coastal management,
CRM organizations or councils formed and active, and best CRM practices
implemented.
Under a revised Results Framework approved in December 1998, CRMP is
working toward achieving two main indicators, namely, kilometers of
shoreline where improved management of coastal resources is being implemented,
and percentage change of fish abundance and coral cover inside and adjacent
to marine sanctuaries.
A survey of selected coral reef areas in CRMP municipalities also showed
some developments for the second indicator. In 1998, most of these areas
were found to have been affected by a severe coral bleaching problem
caused the recent El Nino, but the last survey indicated that hard coral
cover inside marine sanctuaries has recovered significantly. After falling
15 percentage points below baseline in 1998, it rose 6 percentage points
above baseline in 1999.
Hard coral cover outside marine sanctuaries also showed a recovery,
rising from minus 12% in 1998 to minus 5% in 1999. With such recovery,
fish abundance inside and outside marine sanctuaries made a dramatic
turnaround, rising to more than 600 percentage points and 800 percentage
points above baseline, respectively, between 1998 and 1999.
Olango eco-tour temporarily
suspended
The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) has ordered a temporary suspension
of CRMP's ecotourism project on Olango
Island, pending the approval of guidelines for development in the
area. PAMB said the guidelines will help ensure the preservation of
Olango's natural environment.
Olango
is known for its wetlands, where migratory birds feed and rest The
wetlands have been declared a protected area and bird sanctuary.
As part of its community-based approach to coastal resource management,
CRMP has organized the local community of Suba near the Olango Island
Wildlife Sanctuary to manage and implement an ecotourism project. About
55 families are directly involved in the project. They have been trained
not only to organize and facilitate tours but also to help protect the
island's natural attractions. In CRMP's view, the community's involvement
will ensure the sustainability of current efforts to protect and manage
Olango's delicate marine environment.
Nevertheless, Provincial Board Member Ramon Ceniza, who sits in the
PAMB as representative of the Philippine Wetlands Conservation Foundation,
said the PAMB must assess the project for any adverse effects on the
bird sanctuary.
The PAMB is expected to come up with guidelines for ecotourism development
in the area. With reports from L. Pinili in Sun.Star
Daily, 12.20.99
ILOM News
Boy Scouts Cebu Council joins A Million Mangroves Project
The I Love the Ocean Cebu Association,
Inc. and Boy Scouts of the Philippines Cebu Council have entered
into an agreement to jointly undertake the I Love the Ocean Movement's
"A Million Mangroves for the Millennium" Project. A four-day
Boy Scouts encampment which started last December 18 in Bogo, Cebu served
as a launching venue for the collaboration. The encampment was participated
in by some 5,000 Boy Scouts.
The Boy Scouts' participation is covered by a National Office Memorandum
on a "Gawad Luntian" (Green Award) for Scouts issued by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 1997. As provided
by this memorandum, scouts who participate in coastal environmental
conservation will be eligible for the Dugong (Sea Cow) Badge and Pawikan
(Sea Turtle) Badge. ILOM's mangrove rehabilitation project will provide
a venue for the scouts to earn these badges.
In a related development, students from the Abellana National High School
planted 500 propagules in Barangay Jugan, Consolacion, Cebu, where a
mangrovetum is being established by the ILOM.
Launched last November 27, the initial phase of mangrove project involves
the development of a mangrovetum, an area to be planted with different
mangrove species for the scientific study of mangroves and for mangrove
seed production. It will be implemented on a six-hectare foreshore lot
in Barangay Jugan. "The site is idea for the mangrovetum because
of its proximity to Cebu City," the organizers said in a statement.
"The coastal area supports a community who relies on fishing and
gathering of shellfish for food. It is also a habitat of migratory birds."
As part of ILO-Cebu's fundraising program for the mangrove project,
ILO-Cebu is selling tickets for a raffle draw to be held on February
12. Prizes include overnight accommodation at Bohol Divers Lodge and
Plantation Bay. (For details, contact Mario Gasalatan at mario@oneocean.org,
or tel. (032) 2321821-22).
