THE Philippines’ dwindling fish catch may reach unsustainable levels in as short as 20 years should the government fail to protect biodiversity in marine areas that supply as much as 70 percent of aquatic resources in the market.

Worse, other potential revenue-generating activities in the country’s major marine corridors—Verde Passage, Cagayan Ridge, Balabac Strait and the Tri-National Sea Turtle—may not flourish if the areas’ unique biodiversities were not conserved, William W. Azucena of Conservation International-Philippines said.

“There would be dire consequences if we do not save the rich biodiversity in these areas, not only economically in the short term, but also on a longer period,” Azucena said at the sidelines of a gathering on the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape on Thursday.

The Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape, which occupies 900,000 square kilometers spanning marine areas between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, is one of the world’s most diverse and productive marine ecosystems. Up to 35 million people benefit from it through fishing, agricultural production and tourism.

A $5-million grant from the Waltson Family foundation, owners of the Wal-Mart store chain, is funding the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape Project that aims to identify threats to biological diversity in the Philippines’ major marine corridors.

A series of researches were presented during the forum covering possible interventions to protect marine ecosystems and marine mammals like dolphins, turtles and whales and other endangered or threatened fish species; seaweed farming; capacity-building for local government units and improving local knowledge of marine species that may be used for alternative livelihood activities such as ecotourism.

A paper also suggested potential sites to be declared marine protected areas (MPAs): Verde Island, Tingloy, the islets and shoals of Calapan, Puerto Galera and west of Balayan Bay, since these places have a large concentration of fish eggs and larvae.

“An oceanological survey which studied wave flow discovered a high density of fish eggs and larvae… these areas must be protected. We can provide alternative livelihood since MPAs can be designated as dive spots or maybe even provide land-based opportunities,” Azucena explained.

At the Cagayan Ridge Corridor, where the world-renowned Tubbataha Reef Natural Park is also located, Azucena said conservationists must deal with local and foreign commercial poachers who illegally harvest trochus, green sea turtles, sea cucumbers, giant clams and fish species like the coveted Napoleon wrasse.

At the Balabac Strait Corridor, the conservation group said there has been a massive reduction in the mangrove and coral reef areas there in the 1990s mainly because of destructive livelihood activities, including charcoal making and blast fishing.

The Walton Family Foundation grant jumpstarted conservation work there, and with an initial inventory on the status of critical marine habitats, fishery and threatened marine species are now underway.

THE Philippines’ dwindling fish catch may reach unsustainable levels in as short as 20 years should the government fail to protect biodiversity in marine areas that supply as much as 70 percent of aquatic resources in the market.

SILANG, Cavite—A not-for-profit organization led by former President Corazon Aquino is seeking to help microfinance institutions (MFIs) increase their lending to microenterprises by 150 percent to P5 billion as a way of reducing poverty, particularly in the countryside.

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) formally launched Wednesday the first batch of passenger buses and jeepneys that run on auto liquefied petroleum gas, or auto LPG.

AMID the government’s optimism on selling additional shares of the Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp. (PNOC-EDC), the International Finance Corp. (IFC) has expressed that it is not keen on buying additional shares of the geothermal arm of PNOC.

DAVAO CITY—Four gifted blind youths face their individual computer monitors, or rather, tract their keys and inputs through a voice-aided computer and a two-inch-thick Braille system instruction workbook, as computer instructor Karen Alberca gives a slow but firm dictation of the day’s examination on the basics of computer use.

JUNE signals the start of the rainy season. Yet amid occasional rain showers, the sun’s glaring heat experienced during the day seems to give consumers extra time to make the necessary preparations against upcoming typhoons.