Davao del Sur
The focus of CRMP’s efforts in Davao del Sur are six municipalities -- Padada, Hagonoy, Sulop, Malalag, Sta. Maria and Digos -- covering an area of 85,948 hectares with a population of 56,514 persons and a coastline stretching to 66 km. Five expansion sites have been identified -- Sta. Cruz, Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Sarangani Island -- covering an area of 190,499 hectares and a coastline of 191 kms. Majority of the residents in these coastal areas are engaged in fishing and derive their income mainly from fishing the nearby 65-sq km Malalag Bay. Intense exploitation of marine resources has caused the degradation of the coastal environment. Malalag Bay’s live corals once covered 1,020 hectares -- this area has been reduced to a mere 113.4 hectares, primarily because of the prevalence of illegal fishing practices but also partly because of chemical wastes from agriculture and fishponds. To reverse the trend, the government has imposed, since 1992, a gradual banning of compressors. A 50-hectare fish sanctuary has been established in the area, and public awareness of coastal issues is growing.
Work on fishery ordinance fast-tracked
The Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked with the unification of fishery ordinances in Davao del Sur is working double time to come up with a draft unified ordinance which will integrate two versions proposed earlier, one prepared by Silliman University and another patterned after an existing ordinance adopted by the government of Puerto Princesa. CRMP Learning Area Coordinator for Davao del Sur Melchor Maceda says the TWG has decided to follow the Puerto Princesa model and "just integrate into it parts of the Silliman University draft."·
The group is now trying to reach a consensus on some details of the draft ordinance. For one, Maceda says they have yet to reach an agreement on the use of beach seine. "Some say it should be banned because it’s destructive, others say it should be allowed."
Once completed, the draft will be submitted to a steering committee for further review. Maceda predicts the committee will be "generally supportive of the provisions of the draft ordinance." Related story: "Pace picks up," January 1998 issue.
Federation of FARMCs moves ahead
Two more municipalities (Digos and Hagonoy) have organized their Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMCs). LAC Melchor Maceda says officers of the Digos organization will be held on March 9 while that of Hagonoy will be on March 16.
Another municipality, Don Marcelino, is expected to complete the organization of its village-level FARMCs within the month, and Maceda says he is optimistic all municipal FARMCs within The Coastal Resource Management Project’s (CRMP) learning area will be organized by the end of March.
Meanwhile, CRMP’s partners in the local government, NGO community and national government agencies in Davao del Sur proposed cross-visits to other areas where coastal resource management, or any of its components, has been successfully implemented. They expressed interest in visiting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Coastal Environment Program’s (DENR-CEP) mangrove reforestation program in Padada Bay, Davao Oriental; Asia’s largest man-made mangrove forest in Banacon Island, Bohol; the Olango Island Bird Sanctuary in Cebu; and the Apo Island Marine Sanctuary in Negros Oriental.
"They have never really seen the results of a coastal resource management project, so they still cannot fully appreciate the impact of sound management on improving the sustainability and productivity of coastal resources," says Maceda.
Enterprise matters
Seaweeds expert Ruben Barraca and an oyster specialist from Cebu completed their survey of the learning area and came back with these findings:
