Doong Island residents get lecture on marine habitat

CEBU, Philippines - At least 600 residents of Doong Island, Bantayan participated in the lecture on the importance of the environment initiated by the barangay officials, the local government, and an environmental group early this week.

Barangay captains Epifania Pasturiza of Luyongbaybay and Augustine Jimenez of Doong called for the gathering of their constituents after finding out that only about 11 percent of the island’s coral reef is left.

“Kinahanglan gyud i-educate ang mga tawo nga sayop ang illegal fishing. Lisud na, pero kung makahibaw siguro sila nga kung dili na nila hunungon, mahurot gyud ang mga isda diri sa among isla,” said Pasturiza. Barangays Luyongbaybay and Doong are in Doong Island, a good one-hour motorized-boat ride away from Bantayan town’s wharf.

A team from the Knight-Stewards of the Sea, Inc. (Seaknights) was in the island last May to assess the situation of its two marine protected areas (MPA) five months after super typhoon Yolanda hit the northern Cebu. The group’s marine biologist William Villaver showed Doong residents of the blasted off corals in their two MPAs.

“I-imagine lang ang gasang (coral) nga usa ka sabakan, samtang ang mga isda, mga puya. So kung patay na ang gasang, unsa may mahitabo sa mga isda?” Villaver asked the crowd.

When the Seaknights showed the photos of Doong’s underwater, the crowd’s “ahs” and “wows” were heard when they saw colorful fishes, but a deafening silence followed soon after blasted corals were shown in the projector.

Doong’s two MPAs measure not less than 10 hectares each, but despite their being protected areas, local fishers allegedly use dynamite and Zonrox (a cheaper substitute for cynanide) in fishing. This was confirmed by Bantayan Mayor Ian Christopher Escario who immediately sent a team from the local agriculture’s office to see what they could do.

Escario assured to install marine buoys in these two MPAs and assign bantay dagat personnel to patrol the area. The Bantayan Municipal Council, in the 90s, had approved an ordinance declaring the two coral reefs as protected areas. Marine buoys were immediately placed there but these were cut through time, and were not replaced since.

Escario admitted that with the vastness of their seas, Bantayan covers 3,000 hectares municipal waters, in which there are 17 MPAs in there, they could not easily stop illegal fishing which has thrived over the last 20 years.

“We only have three bantay dagat personnel. That’s not enough. Hopefully we can tap the barangays to help us in this fight,” the mayor said.

About 90 percent of  Doong Island’s source of food and income is fishing.

“Okay kaayo ni sila nga dili na lang usa mamasol samtang ayuhon pa ang mga MPA. Pero kinahanglan sab gyud ni sila og laing panginabuhian,” said Pasturiza of her people.

Escario said with a number of international non-government organizations offering to help the Yolanda-hit areas, he would direct those with livelihood components to pour in their assistance to Doong. At least one NGO, Mercedarian, is already there to assist in the seaweed farming industry of Doong. (FREEMAN)