Drive launched to save Sulu Sea

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Thousands of Sulu residents will collaborate with Filipino and American troops, not on a war against terrorism, but to save the Sulu Sea, an official said here.

The event, dubbed as Bayanihan para sa Kalikasan in commemoration with World Earth Day tomorrow, aims to reach out to the conflicted towns in Sulu and share the responsibility in the preservation of marine resources in the Sulu and Sulawesi seas.

The Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy Program (AMORE) will launch its ultimate weapon against the destruction of Sulu Sea by protecting its vibrant ecosystem from further damage through a day-long clean-up.

“This is a very huge concern for us since thousands of our beneficiaries in Sulu depends largely on the Sulu Sea for livelihood. The sea provides opportunities for all people,” says Tetchie Cruz-Capellan, AMORE’s chief of party.

Capellan said they will preserve the province’s variety of sea resources by removing debris along the shoreline.

Sulu Sea is one of the richest fishing grounds in the Philippines. The country shares control over this extensive marine environment with Indonesia and Malaysia. It has an area of about 900,000 kms. and boasts of over 1,800 species of fish, 400 species of algae and over 450 types of coral.

The stakeholders in Sulu, including the Americans and Filipino troops, will hold a historic coastal clean-up in a bid to preserve Sulu’s rich resources.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site Tubbataha Reef, the best-known site in the Sulu Seas, is also considered the world’s best dive spot for underwater adventure.

However, it is not spared from destruction. Fishermen from neighboring countries frequent the Reef to gather fish using destructive methods like dynamite and cyanide fishing, damaging and killing the corals.

“Everyone has a stake in the conservation of the Sulu Sea. Our fundamental role here is to be able to use the Sulu Sea sustainably into the distant future. The aim of the day is to raise awareness and create an understanding among our community of the environmental issues that we face. In the end it will be up to the people to keep their sea productive,” Capellan explained.

Together, they will dispose the trash and debris from the beaches and waterways, track down the sources of debris, and change the behaviors that cause pollution.

The US troops, who have been in Sulu training Filipino soldiers for joint military exercises under the Balikatan program, have begun various medical missions in the island.

The AMORE hopes to increase the village’s yield and provide people more access to marine resources. It provides electricity sourced from solar panels and microhydro to remote and poor villages in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.