Olango Wildlife Sanctuary to be boosted

CEBU, Philippines - Key stakeholders of the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Lapu-Lapu City seek to boost the eco-tourism in the area and at the same time continue to monitor and protect this ecosystem by strengthening information and education efforts.

Luther Dejadena, the assistant protected area superintendent for the bird sanctuary, admitted that there is still a lack of sustainability and effectiveness of the existing information and education efforts to promote the protected area as major ecotourism destination.

He was present during yesterday’s field exposure visit organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 that seeks to monitor and evaluate the Gender and Development component of the sanctuary’s project.

Dejadena said they formulated the Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) plan that included the audio-visual presentations, video documentaries, tarpaulins, brochures and signages.

According to him, this sanctuary is an important wildlife area since its rich coastal wetlands served as an important staging, feeding, and wintering area and temporary shelter for both the migratory shore birds and resident wildlife species.

This is because, he explained, the Olango Island lies within the East-Asian Australasian Flyway – a route taken by migratory shorebirds to and from the breeding ground in Northern China, Japan, Alaska and Siberia.

However, this key biodiversity area is not spared from various challenges and threats, he admitted.

He said some concerns include the mangrove cutting for fuel wood; subsistence fishing and gleaning activities; poor solid waste management and waste disposal; and lastly, the increasing population that may lead to overuse of resources.

Dejadena said it is also at risk of habitat destruction due to wetland conversion; overexploitation and unsustainable utilization of resources; and pollution due to household waste, chemical waste, and factory discharge, among others.

Dejadena said that other major activity in the sanctuary, aside from conserving, protecting and monitoring its biodiversity, are eco-tourism activities like bird watching, swimming, camping and sightseeing, boat paddling, and a mangrove tour.

He added that the office is also eyeing to establish a center at the sanctuary where research and monitoring would be conducted and at the same time train wildlife enforcement officers. (FREEMAN)