Chapter 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES and OPPORTUNITIES

Transcription

1 CHAPTER 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 89 Chapter 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES and OPPORTUNITIES ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES arious environmenta issues affect Sarangani Bay. The foremost is the v sitation of rivers, which discharge to Sarangani Bay. This has ed to the sedimentation of cora reefs and seagrasses. This has aso ed to high concentrations of tota suspended soids (TSSs) in shore areas near the river mouths. Downstream concentrations range from 253 to 301 mg/l. Studies show that when TSS concentration is increased to 80 mg/l, the macroinvertebrate popuation wi decrease by 60 percent. TSS in coasta waters exerts many harmfu effects on the marine environment. When in suspension, it reduces the penetration of sunight, becomes carriers of toxic substances and pathogenic organisms over great distances, and affects fish and fitering species sensitive to the bocking of branchiae. When it settes, it cogs spawning grounds inhibiting the reproduction of fish and it forms sudge bankets causing asphyxiation to the benthic environment. This is particuary prevaent in the coasta area around Buayan River where one can see the discharge pume from the river as it joins Sarangani Bay. Fishers in the area attribute this to upand activities. They say that the sediments come from manure from the ivestock industry and erosion caused by deforestation and destructive farming practices. Anayses of suspended soids in the samping station nearest to Buayan River yieded aarming resuts (163 mg/l) compared to the 14 other stations (concentration ranges from 27 to 56 mg/l).

2 90 LGUs have yet to find a ong-term soution to the sedimentation entering Sarangani Bay. The CRM director under the Office of the Provincia Agricuturist of Sarangani Province identified this as one of the major probems facing the coasta areas of Sarangani Bay. The major stumbing bock to effectivey stopping sedimentation is the ack of jurisdiction of the affected communities. The sediments probaby come from upand areas where ogging, destructive farming methods, and mining are prevaent. In some cases, these take pace outside Sarangani Province in neighboring South Cotabato. There is no easy soution in resoving the issue of sedimentation. There shoud be strong coordination and communication between the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani on the effects of sedimentation on the coasta ecosystems. The information, education, and communication (IEC) campaign shoud be focused on the coasta areas and the upand areas. Aside from Sarangani Province and GSC, the IEC campaign shoud aso address South Cotabato Province. The government (both oca and nationa) shoud address a the causes of sitation simutaneousy. These are mining, ogging, and discharges of the ivestock industry. It is difficut to estimate the contribution of the mining industry to the sedimentation in Sarangani Bay. At this time, it is probaby smaer than ogging or mining. Industria poution is mainy a oca issue in GSC, since the outying municipaities generate itte industria poution. Poution seems to be concentrated in Tamber, where the fish canneries are ocated. The DENR is aegedy having difficuty in stopping their operations because its regiona office is in Davao. Most of these fish canneries do not have adequate wastewater treatment faciities (WTFs). The fish canneries compain of the high costs in constructing and maintaining WTFs. In one instance, the government cosed a tuna processing firm by issuing a cease-and-desist order (CDO); however, the firm continued operation in the midde of the night. Eventuay, the firm was aowed to operate whie a WTF was being constructed. Domestic poution is another issue that needs to be addressed. As shown in Chapter 2, aboratory anayses of sampes taken in Sarangani Bay indicate high eves of tota coiform. The assumption is that the major causes of this are the househods without any toiets. As popuation increases, the tota contribution of domestic waste to the poution going into Sarangani Bay wi increase exponentiay. LGUs shoud improve current sewerage systems in their respective city and municipaity. Coiform bacteria associated with domestic waste are by themseves not pathogenic, but they can cause urinary badder infections. The presence of coiform impies that there coud be a heath risk because pathogens coud infect a person via food ingestion. Skin disease and intestina disorder can resut from swimming in coiform infested waters.

3 CHAPTER 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 91 Another source of coiform bacteria is ivestock waste. Livestock waste in rivers entering Sarangani Bay has been associated with sitation. Sma-scae ivestock farms have no wastewater treatment systems (WTSs). It is difficut to force these sma farms to construct any viabe WTS because the costs in constructing and maintaining these systems are prohibitive from the point of view of these farmers. Studies shoud be conducted to provide these sma-scae farmers with an option of treating waste before its discharge to the various rivers. One possibe option is a centraized WTS, but this option needs further study. In the meantime, poution prevention measures coud be impemented to reduce wastewater discharge. Overfishing, iega fishing, encroachment of commercia fishers in municipa waters, and use of destructive fishing methods are a major issues. Fisheries technicians are particuary concerned with the economic effects of these probems on the municipa fishers iving in their areas of jurisdiction. Dynamite fishing used to be prevaent in the area, but it is not as extensive as it used to be athough it sti occurs. Various other iega fishing methods are used such as the use of fine mesh nets, superights, and muro-ami. Some of these fishing methods resut in cora reef destruction and a resut in overfishing. The PCRA identifies these as the most pressing probems facing the area. MGP recommends that the foowing measures be taken to reduce overfishing in the area: Certain times of the year shoud be cosed season for certain species to aow for spawning; Mesh sizes shoud be increased to aow immature individuas to escape; and Presidentia Decree 704 shoud be stricty enforced to ease the pressure on big-eye scad (Sear crumenophthamus) popuation. Athough mangrove destruction is not a major issue in the area, it is a ongterm concern of environmenta managers. Mangroves are an ecoogica habitat for various organisms incuding commerciay vauabe species. Mangroves, ike their upand counterparts, prevent erosion. To address mangrove destruction and as part of the reforestation efforts of the DENR and Sarangani, the Mangrove and Marine Resources Research and Deveopment Training Center was estabished in Gan. However, other mechanisms need to be put in pace in order to curb mangrove destruction. As mentioned earier, Siiman University reports ony 25 ha of mangrove areas eft in Sarangani Bay. Questionnaire updates provided by CRMP report that the tota mangrove area is around 200 ha. Assuming that the figure reported in 1993 of 508 ha of mangroves was an overestimate, it is sti

4 92 Good 21% higher than the 25 ha of mangrove reported by Siiman. Whatever the case, it is cear that mangrove denudation is occurring and needs to be immediatey addressed. LGUs shoud impement a moratorium on fishpond construction. In impementing this strategy, LGUs shoud have a strong poitica wi, as some fishpond owners have strong poitica infuence or are poitica figures themseves. The DENR shoud stricty enforce and monitor mangrove cutting for firewood. Reforestation aso seems to be a probem, because of high mortaity of repanted seedings. The DENR needs to study the cause of the high mortaity rate of the seedings to determine what is needed to ensure the success of rehabiitation projects. Exceent 4% Fair 36% Poor 39% Figure 7.1. Status of cora reef ecosystem in Sarangani Bay. Data from the Earth Isand Institute, 1997 Destruction of cora reefs is aso a concern. Fishers are now reaizing that cora reefs protect the shore and maintain marine biodiversity. Cora reefs aso ensure sufficient increase in fish catch. Artificia reefs and fish attracting devices have enhanced previousy damaged reefs. The Earth Isand Institute reports that ony 4 percent of the cora reefs are in good condition whie 39 percent are in poor condition (Figure 7.1). The main causes of degraded reefs are extensive dynamite fishing and sedimentation. There are aso reports of cora extraction. However, this is not as extensive, and is imited ony to some beach resorts. ECONOMIC ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES The issue of sedimentation aso has its roots in the economic condition of the peope iving in upand areas. Logging has been an estabished industry in the whoe of Mindanao ever since the timber boom in the eary 1960s. So many peope depend on the ogging industry, and even with the seective ogging ban, some peope sti cut ogs because of the ucrative market. Most of the peope who og do not know of any other iveihood. Government shoud address this issue by providing other sources of income. The conditions are the same for peope who use destructive farming methods such as the kaingin (sash-and-burn) system. These peope ive a hand-to-mouth existence. In order to make ends meet, they maximize production to the point of

5 CHAPTER 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 93 causing environmenta degradation. Sash-and-burn farming invoves burning arge tracts of forestand for farmers to have a ceared fertie and for panting. Once the produce is harvested, the farmer eaves the pace to ook for another area to burn. This eaves the previous area denuded and unabe to maintain soi stabiity, eading to erosion and sedimentation in the rivers and utimatey in Sarangani Bay. According to provincia officias, kaingin is amost non-existent and iega ogging is not as rampant as before. However, the damage has been done. The effects of previous ogging activities are being fet to this day. Mangrove destruction does not seem to be a major economic issue among coasta dweers. This is probaby the reason why it is not a major concern in Sarangani Bay. Nevertheess, the peope shoud be made aware of the significance of mangroves in the ong term. The oss of mangroves transates into oss of commerciay viabe fishes, and therefore, income. Around 800 ha of coasta area is used for aquacuture ponds in Sarangani. It is difficut to gauge exacty how much of this area was previousy mangrove forests, but it is ikey that most was mangrove forest. The provincia government is impementing an IEC campaign on mangrove protection. It aso provides imited financia and technica support for management and reforestation. Socioeconomic issues identified in the PCRA incude ack of fishing gear and very few fish. Fishing grounds are getting farther and farther from the shore, as the fishing grounds near the shore become more overfished. Overfishing often resuts from the difficut iving conditions of margina fishers and their competition with commercia fishers (who are Figure 7.2. Project evauators discussing the probem of imited entry with residents of Sapu- Padidu, Gan. aso overfishing). These fishers need to be educated on the ong-term effects of overfishing and need to be taught sustainabe fishing methods. New entry to fishing must be discouraged (Figure 7.2). Fish canneries in Tamber empoy many workers, provide income to the city government, and are symbos of the economic growth being experienced by GSC. However, a baance between economic growth and protecting the environment needs to be maintained.

6 94 Amost a the roots of environmenta and coasta degradation ie in economics. Some destroy because of actua need, others because of greed. Most do it unknowingy, whie some know what they are doing but are eft with no choice. Amost a can stop actua environmenta degradation and pursue sustainabe deveopment if educated, and additiona sources of income that are not so resource-dependent are provided. POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES Loca government shoud prepare profies for priority projects (protected areas, fisheries, and poution), identify proponents, budget estimates, and potentia funding agencies. Priority projects shoud incude rehabiitation of mangrove forests, rehabiitation of cora reefs and reef fish production, environmenta education, estabishment of community-based enterprises, and zonation. Fisheries programs shoud incude fish stock assessment, deveopment of cooperatives, squid drying for women entrepreneurs, deep-water hand ree fishing, aternative banca materia, cage cuture of siganids and groupers, aquacuture capabiity buiding, bangus fry banking, and seaweed production. Environmenta quaity management programs shoud incude a sanitary andfi, water suppy to outying barangays, domestic sewage treatment systems, institutiona monitoring capabiity, and seection of piot industry for deveopment of waste disposa systems. It is fortunate that the current provincia government of Sarangani foows a poicy that objects to a appications for exporation permits fied with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. However, other provinces in the area need to foow the exampe of Sarangani. The nationa government must aso support these initiatives of LGUs, as they try to baance ecoogica preservation and economic deveopment. To avert further destruction by iega ogging and to reforest previousy ogged areas, the DENR, in cooperation with the Provincia Government of Sarangani are impementing various projects. These incude CBFM in Kiamba and Maitum and reforestation under the Forestry Approach Reforestation and Community Approach Reforestation Schemes. There are aready existing aws reguating most of the environmenta issues. However, due to the ack of resource of both nationa government agencies and LGUs, the enforcement of these reguations is spotty at best. Both the PCG and the Phiippine Nationa Poice (PNP) Maritime Command have imited manpower and resources, particuary patro boats and gasoine. They aso have more pressing issues to contend with, particuary seajacking, contraband smugging, and drug smugging. These aws are not ony environment- or coasta resource-reated, but aso incude other major crimes and vioations. Athough most municipaities have deputized bantay dagat or fish wardens, their effectiveness is hampered by their ack of knowedge of the aw and procedures of arrest. The fish wardens or bantay dagat aso ack incentives. The

7 CHAPTER 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 95 government hardy pays them, and usuay they do not have the necessary equipment such as radios and fast boats to go after the iega fishers who are oftentimes better equipped and armed. Additionay, poiticians, poice, oca officias, and fishers do not fuy understand the aws and procedures or, when convenient, pretend not to understand. Furthermore, the agricuture officers devoved to the LGUs are trained in upand agricutura practices. Very few of them have fishery backgrounds and the rest do not have training in fishery management. In most cases, the government acts ony when it receives a compaint with enough infuence. Even when the government has patro boats, these are usuay too sow to catch iega fishers. Some municipaities were given patro boats; however, after a few years, these became inoperabe due to ack of maintenance and repair. Some powerfu or infuentia peope are aso at the heart of water poution and commercia fishing in municipa waters. Recenty, the Sarangani Province bought a patro boat to be used in patroing municipa waters. Seajacking is aso a major issue identified in the PCRA (Figure 7.3). Athough the various cooperatives and associations have been effective in combatting pirates, sma fishers are sti faing prey to this thievery sometimes not ony osing their catch but aso their ives. It woud seem that the bantay dagat coud best ony serve as a watchdog aerting the authorities such as the PNP and PCG who shoud make the actua arrest of iega fishers. Figure 7.3. Technica working group drawing the PCRA maps that identified issues such as seajacking. A study is needed to show how an effective network of bantay dagat coud be estabished to support oca aw enforcement agencies responsibe for coasta aw enforcement. Fishing effort shoud be reduced within the bay waters. Laws shoud be enforced which prohibit commercia fishers from fishing within municipa waters. Aternative sources of iveihood shoud be found for subsistence fishers, such as sari-sari stores and pig fattening.

8 96 Encroachment of commercia fishers in municipa waters seems to be the most common compaint of fisherfok in the municipaities of Sarangani. This is a resut of a perceived open-access system. In recent years, severa boats whose ownership is outside of the GSC and Sarangani Province have begun to fish in the bay. Loca residents caim that these non-resident fishers use iega methods that are efficient in catching fish such as fine mesh nets. PCRA resuts show that the fishers sti trust that the government wi hep them in their pight, particuary in regard to iega fishing. They beieve that the government wi be abe to enforce the aws and arrest and imprison iega fishers. In a case study by Oive (1993) in Sarangani, municipa fishers reported commercia fishers in municipa waters. The mayor got the oca poice to arrest the 30 fishers and to confiscate their boat. However, after a few days, the mayor was forced to reease them because the oca government coud no onger afford to feed them. Figure 7.4. More marine sanctuaries are being estabished in the bay area. Management zones shoud be cassified as sanctuary or preservation zones, buffer zones, sustainabe use zones, rehabiitation zones, and recreationa zones (Figure 7.4). Areas south of Pampang Point shoud be cassified as a preservation zone. Fishers aso beieve that estabishing fish sanctuaries is a soution to overfishing by providing fish with a breeding ground in municipa waters. The framework for the coasta area management pan for Sarangani and GSC recommends the estabishment of Municipa CRM Boards. These bodies can: (1) provide the necessary direction of various CRM programs and projects; (2) provide a venue for the integration and coordination of various CRM efforts; (3) provide a venue for stronger community participation in CRM panning and decision-making process; and (4) raise oca community environmenta concerns. Most of the peope seem to be concerned more with the economic impacts of the issues, rather than their environmenta effects. These peope see environmenta degradation as affecting their source of income, and are more worried about its effect on the money that they earn rather than on actua protection of the environment.

9 CHAPTER 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 97 SUMMARY The Sarangani baywide management pan, to be endorsed in 2001, refects many of the issues and soutions discussed in this chapter. The panned activities foow: Summary of Management Programs and Activities for Sarangani Bay Habitat Enhancement Profiing and assessment of natura habitats incuding major rivers Mangrove rehabiitation and repanting Estabishment of new and/or enhancement of existing marine protected areas in the bay Rehabiitation of major rivers Impementation of adopt-a-shoreine and adopt-a-river projects Resource use inventory and zoning Monitoring and evauation Fisheries Baseine information gathering Periodic fish stock assessment Conduct of feasibiity study on open-cosed seasons and other possibe fisheries management toos Impementation of fisheries management too(s) best suited in Sarangani Bay Feasibiity study on assigning property or access rights to community organizations Monitoring and evauation Poution and Water Quaity Baseine information gathering Estabishment of water quaity aboratory and monitoring system Economic anayses and vauation of environmenta costs Conduct of environmenta poicy research studies and appication of marketbased instruments for poution contro Construction of appropriate poution contro devices Conduct of IEC activities that aso incude concerns on poicies and standards Monitoring and evauation Shoreine Waterfront Deveopment Baseine information gathering Estabishment of necessary buffer zones and setting up of corresponding demarcations Deveopment of sea-use pan Monitoring and evauation

10 98 Community Deveopment Baseine information gathering Community organizing and strengthening of existing POs Conduct of eadership enhancement and panning and management skis training Conduct of training courses on ICM and reated matters Conduct of socia mobiization activities Monitoring and evauation Popuation and Settements in Coasta Areas Baseine information gathering Formuation of poicies and settement pans for coasta municipaities and barangays Construction of sanitary toiets for coasta communities Deveopment of a coasta soid waste management program Deveopment of a potabe water program Deveopment of a coasta resettement program Monitoring and evauation Tourism and Enterprise Deveopment Baseine information gathering Conduct of feasibiity and viabiity studies Identification and impementation of appropriate tourism and other enterprise activities Skis deveopment and training Deveopment of inkages and/or partnerships with appropriate groups Monitoring and evauation Information, Education, and Communication Baseine information gathering Estabishment of an Environmenta Conservation and Protection Center Preparation of IEC and advocacy materias Networking of oca academic and research institutions to hep impement appropriate pan activities Estabishment of the Sarangani Bay management information system/ geographic information system Training support to different projects and activities Monitoring and evauation Strengthening the Lega and Institutiona Component Baseine information gathering Review of pertinent aws and reguation (environmenta/coasta)

11 CHAPTER 7 MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES 99 Conduct of genera IEC activities on aw enforcement and coordination with aw enforcement agencies as we as for communities Conduct of reguar/programmed meetings of the different aw enforcement agencies and meetings with the community Conduct of research on the optimum eve of aw enforcement personne and their ogistic requirements Conduct of project activities that woud increase the number of aw enforcement personne (or deputized wardens) Acquisition and maintenance of ogistics faciities incuding petro and speed boats Monitoring and evauation

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