of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines - weADAPT

climate change vulnerability assessment of the verde island passage, philippines
plains will also reduce the level of nutrients and
sediments entering the sea and create nursery
habitats for fisheries.
• Moreover, although the high sediment yield of
watersheds has led to accretion, it is likely that it
has played a large role in the degradation of coral
reef ecosystems and in the decline of coastal and
offshore fisheries. In the formulation of mitigation
and adaptation measures, this link between the
marine ecosystem and the watershed should be
considered.
Watershed sediments ending at the coast leads to
coastal degradation. This is further exacerbated by
erosion along the coast caused about by human
modifications such as inappropriate ports, quarrying,
and removal of mangroves and seagrasses.
• Location of ports need not only take into
consideration the economic development but
should position the ports in such as way as not to
impede longshore sediment drift. Moreover, we
advocate constructing open ports which allow
water to flow in between pilings.
• Stop stone mining. Give alternative livelihood (e.g.,
the river mouth and flanks of Abra de Ilog show
erosion of ~150 m between 2001 and 2009.
Pebble picking activities is most likely contributing
to, if not the main cause, of the erosion west of the
river mouth).
• There is a need to educate people from various
strata of the functions of mangroves and coral reefs
towards the protection of the beach, e.g., erosion
of about 200 m occurred along the mouth of
Kampungpong River in Batangas City. Removal of
the mangrove, large constructions and expansions
of piers along the coast of Batangas City are likely
linked to the erosion.
• Development along the coasts and the plains
should also consider the likely natural changes that
can take place due to tectonics, volcanism and river
dynamics (e.g., erosion along the Baco-Malaylay
delta may have been triggered by liquefaction
caused by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on a
segment of Lubang Fault, south of Verde Island on
November 15, 1994).
• A lot of coastal developments (including planting of
mangroves on seagrass beds) have been observed
around Batangas that either removes seagrasses
or constructs barriers that influence the natural
hydrology within the coastal areas. The latter makes
the seagrasses around VIP more vulnerable to
eutrophication caused by impediment of the flow of
water in these areas.
Early response and immediate
management recommendations
• Seasonal regulation of dulong, milkfish fry and other
fry fishery with very minimal fishing during peak
occurrence (based on lunar periodicity). This will
reduce fishing mortality at the early life stages.
• Establishment of fry-grow out schemes to enhance
juvenile survivorship e.g., for grouper, bangus and
high value invertebrates in conjunction with MPA
buffer reserve area.
• Gear effort control at varying habitat types (e.g., live
fish collectors, fish corral deployment); establish
incentives for regulating effort through certification
schemes and targeting stakeholders for capacity
building.
• Stricter enforcement over illegal fishing practices
(blastfishing, cyanide fishing, poaching) and
capacity building for inter-hierarchical network
enforcement teams and incentives for stewards and
IEC for greater social pressures on “illegalistas”
• Increase sizes of protected areas including other
habitat types (e.g., mangroves, seagrasses,
lagoons). Aside from fishery benefits, this
mechanism will ensure good conditions of
protected areas, and therefore less sensitive to
climate change. Identify areas for refugia and stock
enhancement strategies.
• Alternative livelihood (other economic/job
opportunities) to fishing to reduce fishing pressure
and other supplemental livelihood support (e.g.,
training of invertebrate grow out on reserve areas)
• Proper zonation of use of coastal waters (fishery
zone, MPA, aquaculture zone, industry zone) as
this will lower sensitivity of habitats and therefore
vulnerability and reduce conflicting uses with
clearer guidelines, ordinances and incentives per
zone that incorporates climate considerations (e.g.,
erosion, sea surface temperature, and siltation).
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