Asia Dive News : Philippine Danajon Bank reefs targeted for conservation

Danajon Bank is a very rare geological formation because it comprises two sets of large coral reefs that formed offshore on a submarine ridge due to a combination of favorable tidal currents and coral growth in the area. It is believed that the reefs were formed over the last 6000 years.

Danajon's double barrier reef is a larger and better-defined structure than other known double barrier reefs in the world. The outer reef lies 11 km offshore, and is composed of several units up to 23 km long each. The inner barrier is 2 km wide and separated from the littoral by an inshore channel 26 m deep at most.

Danajon Bank, the only documented double barrier reef in the Philippines and in the whole of Southeast Asia, and which covers parts of the provinces of Bohol, Southern Leyte and Cebu, is one of the four target implementation areas of FISH project...

The FISH project which stands for Fisheries for Improved Sustainable Harvest, build on the foundation and lessons learned froom the Coastal Resource Management Project and other projects and programs in order to achieve the next crucial benchmark in managing fisheries and coastal resources in the Philippines.

Over the years, condition of Danajon Bank has been in an alarming state due to the extremely high fishing pressure, rapid population growth in the coastal towns surrounding it, and the inefficient and inefficient coastal resource management programs and policies.

To establish a sound foundation for improved fish management, the League of Municipalities of the Philippines has an existing partnership with FISH project, the Philippine Information Agency learned.

This benchmark call for integrated fisheries management driven by informed, disciplined and cooperative stakeholders at national and local levels of engagement.

The FISH project is a seven-year (2003-2010) technical assistance project funded by the United States Agency for International Development and implemented in partnership with the Department of Agriculture- Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, other national government agencies, local government units and non-governmental and other assisting organizations like the LMP.

Aside from Danajon Bank, the other implementation areas are Calamianes Islands in Palawan, Surigao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi.

Source: PIA Information Services