Corals in Poro marine sanctuary doing poorly

CEBU, Philippines - Poro town in Camotes was supposed to open the 47-hectare Esperanza Marine Sanctuary in barangay Esperanza, Poro, but the town may have to think it over again after divers last Saturday discovered that the area was in “poor condition”.

Saddened by what she saw from the underwater video footage and photos, Elizabeth Costas, local Department of Agriculture-Coastal Resource Management staff, said she will share in the next meeting the situation of the marine sanctuary which they had planned to open for guests next month.

“This is very sad. I did not imagine it to be like that,” said Costas, while watching the video brought to her by divers of the Knight-Steward of the Sea, Inc. or the Seaknights.

The Seaknights is a group of environmental divers headed by Fr. Tito Soquino of the Basilica del Sto. Niño commissioned by the Rotary Club of Metro Cebu to survey Poro’s marine sanctuaries last Saturday.

Costas admitted that although they have trained divers, they do not have dive equipment hence they have not personally checked the site themselves. With what they just learned, they may have to postpone the launching of the Esperanza Marine Sanctuary, which is about a 15-minute ride from the Poro Town Hall.

Seaknights diver Mario Gasalatan said the sanctuary’s poor condition makes it not yet ready for tourism.

“You can’t open it to divers because there’s nothing interesting to see down there. Walay mga isda, basin maluoy lang hinuon sila sa kondisyon sa mga corals,” Gasalatan said.

Costas disclosed that dynamite and cyanide fishing are just among the many destructive methods commonly used in Esperanza even until today.

There are three marine sanctuaries, including the Esperanza Marine Sanctuary, within the territory of Poro but only two Bantay Dagat personnel are assigned to them.

For the past months since the election period kicked off, Costas said the environmental abuse cases have increased as perpetrators know officials will not go after them for fear of losing their votes.

And as a result, they have fewer fish.

“It is very ironic that the place is considered a coastal barangay, and it even has its own marine sanctuary, yet it has no fish in it,” Gasalatan said.

Gasalatan also believes that there is a problem with the enforcement of the law.

He however said that if the locality, with the help of the people’s organization there, can stop the dynamite fishing or any forms of destruction to the sea, the fish will return in a year.

He said that the place could have been beautiful once, as there were sightings of branching corals, and other marine inhabitants that would have been a perfect attraction for visitors.

But with them almost all gone, it will take at least 20 years for the entire place to regain all its lost beauty, he said. (FREEMAN NEWS)