SIQUIJOR, Dec 12 (PIA)—Coastal resource
management (CRM) framework of the local government units of the province should
gear towards contributing climate change adaptation and enhancing resiliency to
the coastal areas.
This the Provincial Environment and
Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) expressed during the Information and
Education Campaign (IEC) held at the Provincial Coastal Resource Management
(PCRM) office in Larena, Siquijor recently.
Tagra committed to support and
intensify program for the coastal resource management in Siquijor following a
recent study that assessed the province’s coastal resources with high
vulnerability to both nature and human destruction.
He said the DENR is continuously
conducting studies, rehabilitations, assessments and reports to identify and
provide proper actions for addressing coastal concerns.
Several programs have also been
organized to mainly focus on coastal and marine resources conservation, he
said.
These, and other initiatives such
as trainings, rehabilitation activities and information drives have been
intensified to strengthen the battle against coastal and marine degradation,
Tagra said.
He cited the Sustainable Coral Reef
Ecosystems Management Program (SCREMP) as the DENR’s major ongoing project that
provides strategic and sustainable ecosystem-based approach in protecting and
rehabilitating coastal and coral reef.
The DENR has also assisted in the
installation of amazon nets as low relief fish habitat for reef fish recovery.
These amazon nets buoyed with cable tie
and marine epoxy were utilized for fast and easy ways of attaching loose coral
recruits on the stabilization mats, he explained.
He said a number of low relief and high
relief fish habitats were deployed to marine protected areas (MPAs) to support
and provide shelter for fishes.
Tagra urged all local stakeholders to
actively share the best practices and lessons learned in Siquijor province
citing that the Philippines’ designs and protocols for reef rehab
specifically targeted for typhoon damaged areas are still being developed and
are on its experimental stages.
The PENRO hopes to complement the
methods with existing effective protocols and manuals so that DENR can
introduce protocols and methods for large-scale rehab that can be implemented
by LGUs and coastal communities.
Tagra also encourage every Siquijodnon
to contribute in decision-making and planning stages of coral reef and MPAs.
Per records from the DENR, the province
has estimated 1,384.71 hectares of coral reef area; 211.17 hectares of MPAs
covering the 18 MPAs province wide.
He said everyone must take active
participation in the protection and conservation of the coastal assets because
these will provide not only income and livelihood to locals but also to the
tourism industry that is identified as the biggest contributor to the island’s
local economy. (mbcn/RAC/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from Katrina Abing/ DENR-PIO)