Wir können Euch  heute Mitteilen, dass trotz Sturm im Juli mehr als 50 junge Schildkröten in Antulay Nest überlebt haben und Heute in Ihr neues Leben gestartet sind, hoffen wir, dass es ein langes Leben wird und nicht die Arroganz von uns dieses Leben schell beendet. Wer unseren Kampf für die Meereslebewesen unterstützen will meldet sich bitte. Euer Team vom Dive Hub Antulang und dive-philippinen.

Today we are able to do to You mention that in spite of storm in July more than 50 young tortoises in Antulay have survived nest and Today in your new life are begun, we hope that it becomes a long life and not the arrogance of us this life ring finished. Who wants to support our fight for the sea living beings announces itself please.  Ur Team vom Dive Hub Antulang und dive-philippinen.

Early last year, local government leaders and community-elected officials of Siaton, specifically from its 14 coastal towns (locally subdivided as barangays)  were  provided a series of trainings conducted by an impressive team of educators, lawyers, marine biologists, government agencies, and the Phil. National Police to emphasize the importance of proper coastal resource management as they play critical roles in our food, economy, trade, ecological resources, recreation, tourism opportunities, and the maintenance of our national security.  An ecological understanding shows us that everything is connected to everything because the earth is an interconnected system, and we cannot simply regard it as an inexhaustible storehouse of raw materials for our own livelihood and economy. A few principles of particular importance at the biological level is expressed in the maxim that “ecology is the study of who is eating whom”. The ethical dilemma posed by the question and the formulation and justification of ethical norms are crucial.

 In 1999, Silliman University reported their evaluation, done through the financial assistance of USAID, of the health status of Siit Bay in Siaton, Negros Oriental. Such scientific overview explicitly presented how the commercial fish cages were polluting the water and the numerical growth of the population in the area that creates additional demand for resources in the area. There were specific recommendations on how to remedy the situation. Yet, the two bays, specifically Siit and Tambobo Bays, are still subject to substantial pressures and face significant environmental changes.

Pathetically, hardly any step of the suggested ways to stop their deterioration was effectively implemented, and the two bays since then just succumbed to the human feces, oily boat wastes and other toxic residue from the fish cages it had to carry through the years. This mariculture in the limited area of Siit Bay also belongs to an ancient ecosystem of the nesting area of green marine turtles, that is now competing with the fenced houses of some fishermen. What is even more damaging, a pier for a sand quarry was hastily built where it not only disfigured the natural contours of the bay, it has likewise hampered the natural exchange of the flow of water in the bay. A big construction using heavy equipment can hardly be considered a discreet activity in a very open area, but it seemed that those who voiced out their opinion against it just ebbed out. Incidentally, the barangay officials claim they had recorded in a proper resolution the cell phone gifts that the said unauthorized pier developer generously insisted that they must have. Perhaps they must all review the basic legal provisions under graft and corruption practices of public officials (to include receiving gifts and favors of public officials and his relatives, esp. those who are charged with granting permits, licenses, or other concessions or divulging information that is confidential in nature and other acts detrimental to the government and other people – RA 3019).

Such pollution in the two bays alone is a big challenge that halts real progress in our community. The degraded coastal water quality caused by commercial activities both onshore and offshore, habitat loss, fishing impacts, disease, invasive species, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and climate change affect the surrounding coastal areas where the economies of the neighboring municipalities also depend. Significant diversions of natural water flows can alter salinity gradients and the flushing or dilution capability of a water body also diminish the economic gains of any mariculture because the change in salinity can affect the life cycles of organisms like mangroves, seagrasses, corals, turtles, and others – all very vital to life. Some fear that the red tide threat that was reported in June 2006 may again occur. In the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) guideline, it stated that “there is little justification for altering valuable natural areas since their existence is finite and are highly productive ecologically.” (Managing Coastal Habitats and Marine Protected Areas, Chap. 2, Critical Coastal Habitat, p.17). And yet, for all the mutual incomprehension, the bay still had a pier that rose beyond the community’s elected officers’ contro,l who are supposed to be the gatekeepers of proper governance.

The Philippines has a comprehensive Republic Act 8550 where it specifies that destruction of marine habitat, and specifically our beautiful reef in Siit, is punishable with fine  (minimum of P120,000) and imprisonment. Many formal reports and police blotters on illegal fishing activities go unattended because in Siaton, any coastal law violation has to have a complete set of apprehending officers for any reported violator: namely the witness catching the violator in the act, a municipal agrarian officer, and a police officer. The distance of Siit from Siaton PNP Station is about 40km. By such measure, the first requirement alone leaves the law toothless in Siaton.  For a few months, we had the Seaborne Patrol of the Coastal Law Enforcement Council making rounds and doing heroic efforts. We have less spearfishers threatening us from Dumaguete, less fishing boats shaking our hopes, and most local bancas now display painted registration numbers.

 Lately too, we feel such relief if we get any response to pleas for help against violent abusers. Though the fish cages still operate freely, and the pier that was supposedly illegally-built still stands as it is, we feel that our marine resources still need more collaboration and a strong framework for long-term conservation.  Because of the pier structure, the once white sand area is fast turning muddy. One does not need to be a marine biologist to see the fast deterioration of the once expansive reef surrounding it. The fisherfolk just came to accept their fate, and other illegal fishing activities simply continue to proliferate. It is not a secret to the locals of Siit Bay that the accretion of the bay serves as the landing port for fishing boats, and the once nesting area of marine turtles are now fenced by claimants of the area, supposed to be government-watched. Siit is a place where coastal law enforcement is not a job for the local officials to take seriously, as some of the officials themselves claim that if they have to follow RA 8550, all fishermen in the community fall short.

In instances that a violator gets caught, the fine is relatively easy to settle, and the errant goes fishing the way he did as before. Or if the locals of Siit Bay claim that an elected officer is in cohorts with commercial fishing boat owners is true, then this could be one of the reasons why up to now, we still have not organized any Bantay Dagat or coastal wardens in this barangay.  Flouting the law, as there are so many violators, is a daily part of life we confront in this rough-and tumble world of hard pragmatism, of what is possible and what is principled. By virtue of the authority vested in these officials by our Constitution to protect the governed, we ask the public administration to incorporate an ecosystem-based management and emphasize public stewardship responsibilities. The locals believe some big fish boat operators are law makers themselves, or retired coast guards or their relatives, or ex-mayors who know their way around – the list of excuses is infinite. In the adjacent Tambobo Bay, not even the Philippine Navy can be called on to assist locals if coastal marine law violators and oppressors are within the vicinity. Our poor navy detachment based in Tambobo Bay has no boat, not enough personnel, and no budget.

As easily observed, in the Tambobo Bay, it is usual to see 30 fishing boats per day being repaired, cleaned, or docked – and all sorts of wastes are freely discarded in the bay.  With the whole marine ecosystem breaking down so fast, we who work so hard in restoring a small area we can manage to help, fervently hope that our community leaders awaken to the fact that many factors in halting destruction of the reef depend on their courage to face the many daunting challenges. We have a stewardship responsibility to maintain healthy, resilient, sustainable municipal waters for the benefit of this and future generations.

If the waters in Siit and Tambobo Bays get totally destroyed, no amount of pearls and gold can make up for what we lose in our real treasure and heritage - our most valuable marine resource. The base of the oceanic system process most of the oxygen we breathe. The oceans are critical to supporting human life.  Siaton has 51 kilometers of coastline. We are blessed with very high fish diversity, beautiful beaches, turtle nesting areas, and scenic cliffs with old trees that serve as sanctuaries for coastal birds. We need to set aside special areas as marine sanctuaries to reduce overfishing and help restore endangered species and degraded habitats. Our marine habitats are being exploited beyond their capacity to recover. There is supposed to be a guideline that every municipality has to have a minimum of 25% of its coastal water designated as fishery sanctuaries - “a site is usually chosen for having high productivity and biodiversity, or because it serves a special function like a spawning and/or feeding ground for one or more marine species,” (Chap. 3, Creating and Managing Marine Protected Areas). This approach has been adopted by two of the world’s leading conservation organizations, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the IUCN, or the World Conservation Union, as the Number One objective in a global strategy for conserving areas of high biological importance and productivity.   

 Marine sanctuaries and marine protected areas are all very essential members of our ecosystem. It is where our coral reefs are protected from fishing nets, anchors, being stepped on, and other local threats like marine debris and plastics. They help balance and clean the very air we breathe. Many scientists think that the increase in CO₂ has already contributed to air and ocean warming where global ocean temperature has risen by 1.3˚ F. The CO₂ reacts with the water to make carbonic acid. This change to the ocean’s chemistry makes it harder for the corals to build their calcium carbonate. It is well known that high temperatures cause the normal photosynthetic process of corals to break down, and the stress increases their chance of succumbing to disease and reduces their ability to reproduce normally for years afterwards.

 Our very valuable Siit coral reef play very important roles in a diverse ecosystem, where species from Bohol and Sulu Seas have been found, and such resources therefore require protection through numerous government agencies and local authorities with responsibility and jurisdiction over the seas, coasts, and bays. The 2008 Technical Evaluation Survey done by the Silliman University-Angelo King Center for Research and Environment Management (SUACKREM), reports that the two established sanctuaries of Siaton located in Bonbonon and Andulay are non-functional. These sanctuaries were established in the mid-1990s. As of today, July 25, 2009, the Andulay Marine Sanctuary has only two buoys left. In Bonbonon, there is none. Marine Sanctuaries, as they are termed,  are sacred territories where you must respect,  areas marked with deep loyalties. If we were to observe how we Filipinos behave in our respective religious congregations, our sacred places should not require vigilant watching; hence in comparison, we should not  be spending so much in the daily cost of guarding any fishery sanctuary. How do we make significant contributions in a society that marginalizes its best natural resources? Very few people in this area can see ten steps ahead of them as most are enclosed in the realms of current realities to be able to imagine an alternative future. These contradiction betray our own people. Law enforcement should be a communal responsibility, and we appeal to our political leaders to review policies and strengthen collaboration efforts so we can ensure accountability for actions that affect us all.