federal agency that really has the
resources to police the vast seas of
the islandy country. But incidents of
reported dynamite fishing are
becoming less frequent as
fishermen become educated about
the long-term damage this and
other forms of detrimental fishing
can do to the world of the coral
reef.
People are also seeing how they
can benefit from using conservation
as an ally. Donsol’s whale
shark viewing industry has
made the entire region
there properous.
Malapascua has seen the
same thing happen with
people coming from
around the world to see
thresher sharks. Apo
Island enjoys a brisk
tourism business due to it’s far-
sighted decades old program of reef
protection.
Small marine preserves are being
established and being looked after
by villages, resorts and locally
formed conservation groups. The
economic gain translates into
community prosperity. There are
many marine preserve success
stories now in the Philippines as
this philosophy gains in popularity.Dynamite damage
on the left, healthy
reef on the rightDugong conservation