|
The elders of Barangay Papaya often tell stories of how abundant
fish were in the days of old. They would recount how, in less than
an hour, they could get a boatload of fish barely a hundred meters
from shore. This cornucopian bounty was due to the coastal
ecosystems along the coves of Barangay Papaya. Expansive coral
reefs, lush sea grass beds and sprawling mangrove forests all served
as habitats for various types of marine life.
Among these ecosystems, mangroves, which are the
most visible, are also the easiest to access since they are situated
right along the shorelines of the coves. These mangrove
forests—like all other forests—served as nesting, breeding and
feeding grounds for both marine life and other terrestrial fauna
such as birds. Mangrove forests, along with sea grass beds,
estuaries and coral reefs, form the coastal ecosystem, one of the
most productive ecosystems in the world. One hectare of healthy
mangrove forest, in particular, provides approximately 500 kilos of
fishery products per hectare annually.
After World War II, when the war-torn country
started rebuilding, one of the government’s programs for the
fisheries sector was the conversion of mangrove forests into
fishponds. Mangrove forests were then seen as idle and unproductive
areas and were converted into aquaculture projects—supposedly to
become more profitable. This resulted in the destruction of
two-thirds of all mangrove forests in the country. The destruction
of the mangrove forests, along with the destruction of other coastal
ecosystems contributed to the rapid decline of fish catch from the
1970’s up to the present. Before, an hour of fishing would gain
you a boatload of fish. Today, the average is less than a kilo per
hour of fishing.
The same story is told of Hamilo before the
development initiative undertaken by Costa del Hamilo (CdHI), the
developer of SMIC’s first phase beach-anchored project known as
Pico de Loro. Due to massive destruction of the mangroves for
charcoal and fishponds, the original 45 hectares of lush mangroves
dwindled to only 18 hectares.
Costa del Hamilo, with the assistance of WWF,
partnered with a grassroot organization known as Kaagapay ng
Mamamayan para sa Kalikasan, or KMK. From the 18 hectares, the group
has planted 6 hectares last year. This year, another 5 hectares is
targeted. Besides planting, KMK is protecting the “propagules”
or mangrove seedlings until they reach maturity through volunteer
patrolling and continuous education among coastal villagers on the
positive effects of the mangrove on the food chain and environmental
preservation. The group plans to have this as an annual initiative
to rehabilitate its sensitive wetlands.
Part of a greater move to rehabilitate the
entire coastline of Hamilo Coast, the Papaya community, along with
CdHI and WWF have conducted information campaigns on the importance
of the mangrove forests, as well as the other ecosystems to coastal
communities. The barangay council has passed a local ordinance
banning the destruction of mangroves for charcoal production.
Regular monitoring of the mangrove areas will be a critical
component of the initiative. In mid-2008, training was conducted by
Department of Environmental and Natural Resources to teach the
community how to make charcoal briquettes from waste instead of
trees to combat the soaring prices of oil and liquid petroleum gas.
From a mangrove and reef assessment done by WWF
in 2007, the mangrove forest in Pico de Loro Cove was identified as
possible boardwalks for educational mangrove tours due to the
presence of old-growth mangroves—some trunks being so large that
it would take more than two people to hug the tree completely—as
well as a relatively untouched area with meter-high mounds of mud
erected by mudcrabs.
The mangrove forests in both Hamilo and Pico de
Loro Coves are also home to numerous bird species. An initial survey
conducted by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines in Pico de Loro
Cove revealed 44 bird species—including egrets, kingfishers and
coucals, proving that below or above the water, these submerged
forests are bastions of life.
Marine and wetlands conservation effort is and
will be a strategic component to the overall development thrust of
the Costa del Hamilo project in Hamilo as it believes that a healthy
balance between nature and physical development would be key to the
area’s long-term sustainability.
|
