OVER SEAS -- The Online Magazine for Sustainable Seas

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.

‘Profiling’ Stepped Up

The preparation of the coastal environmental profile for the Malalag Bay Learning Area gathers steam with interns from the Southern Philippines Agribusiness, Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) providing much-needed assistance in data collection. "We conducted some focus group discussions between May 15 and June 18 to generate details -- average income of fishing household and average catch per fishing effort, for example -- that we could not get from secondary sources," explained Learning Area Coordinator Melchor Maceda. At least 12 persons participated in each focus group discussion.

ICM League Formed
There’s a new group engaged in coastal resource management advocacy work in the Malalag Bay Learning Area. Inspired by their involvement in last May’s CRMP-sponsored Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) seminar/workshop, planning officers, municipal agriculturists and other participants from the various towns around Malalag Bay have organized themselves into an advocacy group called "League of ICM Practitioners and Advocates of Davao del Sur." The League aims to increase public awareness of coastal issues and encourage others to help spread good coastal resource management (CRM) practices in Davao del Sur.

On June 18, a workshop on participatory CRM action planning was conducted in the barangays (villages). "This is basically a consultation workshop to help those who participated in the ICM training -- the municipal planning and development officer, the municipal agriculturists and the agricultural technician -- to administer the training results," said LAC Maceda.

Meanwhile, the enterprise development team has begun its opportunities survey in the area. LAC Maceda said the team is looking at the business potentials of oyster and danggit (siganid or rabbitfish) processing. "A number of people in the Malalag Bay area are already engaged in danggit culture. But mortality is sometimes high, so we’re looking for a more effective technology."

The enterprise development team has also identified potential areas for the production of Gracilaria (a type of seaweed). "There are native Gracilaria species growing in the area, but we are exploring the possibility of introducing the species used in Cebu. Caulerpa (another type of seaweed) is also being considered." With the election last May of "environment-friendly" local officials, Maceda is optimistic the projects will receive much-need local government support. He admitted, however, that the local market for seaweeds has yet to be developed. §