kaban galing - front cover - galing pook

The goal was to get the fishing communities to set up marine protected
areas and then to manage them. Second was to formulate, adopt and
implement a CRMP.
Dauin Fights Back
In 1984, with the assistance of the Silliman University Marine Laboratory
and the provincial government, a community based marine protected
area was established in Apo Island. By then, the scientists at Silliman
University had ascertained that a square kilometer of healthy reefs could
produce up to 30 tons of fish. They also developed a formula to reverse
the decline of the habitats: protect 25% of the reefs. Harvest the rest
with hook-and-line and other non-destructive methods, and the reefs
will always stay productive and healthy.
The entire 10-kilometer stretch of Dauin’s shoreline is now covered
by the CRMP. Aside from Apo Island, four other coastal barangays in
the mainland have functional marine protected areas with a total of 29
hectares.
Fishers now agree that their catch is more bountiful. Fish catch even
outside the MPAs have increased, an apparent result of the spillover of
fish which had grown big and moved to deeper waters. This has
translated into increased income for the fishers.
The growth of healthy corals and diverse marine species is apparent
in the marine sanctuaries. This has attracted local and foreign tourists,
especially diving enthusiasts. In turn, this has enticed investors. The
resorts and dive shops increased from 4 to 15. In order to earn more,
government and the community initiated a user-fee system. Hence, apart
from the bountiful fish catch the MPAs have also been generating income
in the form of user’s fees. It is estimated that an average of P400,000 is
generated monthly from user’s and other fees.
Protecting the Gains
The formulation of the CRMP entailed a participatory approach to involve
and empower the whole community and make them appreciate the aim
of the program. Several meetings and dialogues were conducted
together with all identified stakeholders to persuade them to adopt the
program. The fishers were organized into associations under the principle
that the primary resource users are also the rightful managers. The fishers
associations were later institutionalized through a municipal ordinance,
Now the Divers Come with Cameras 77