 |  | _________ |  Cyanide and blast fishing meet population explosion
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 To help save the reefs of the Philippines, get active with these groups: Agojo Point Marine Sanctuary Project Catarman Fishermen Association Community Extension and Research for Development Conservation and Resource Management Foundation Earth Station Writers' and Artists' Collective Foundation for the Philippine Environment Haribon Foundation for the Conservation of Natural Resources International Marinelife Alliance Labrador Alternative Development Center Leyte Rural Advancement Programmes Nationwide Coalition of Fisherfolk for Aquatic Reform Philippines Pagtinabangay Foundation, Inc. Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement Schutzgemeinschaft Korallenriff Service Bureau for Small Fisherfolks Siliman University Marine Laboratory Southeast Asia Fisheries Development Center, Aquaculture Department Southern Luzon Fishermen Foundation ZN Center for Social Concerns and Development
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Coral reefs are declining all over this vast archipelago due to widespread blast, cyanide, and net fishing, sedimentation, inshore construction, and eutrophication (overnutrition that favors corals' competitors). Overfishing is decimating fish populations, while mangrove destruction, upland deforestation, and poor agricultural practices have sent large sediment loads washing onto corals, damaging or killing reefs; 30 percent of Philippine reefs are reportedly dead, another 39 percent dying. The Philippines is also a major exporter of coral for displays and aquariums, although such export is illegal under Philippine law and the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The news isn't all bad: Establishment of the Sumilon Island marine reserve has resulted in a marked comeback of fish in adjacent areas. Enforcement in general is spotty, however. The Philippines arrested 22 Chinese fishermen in January 1998 after catching them gathering corals and turtles off the western Philippine province of Zambales, saying their boats contained rare corals and dynamite; in April the government announced it would release 20 of the 51 Chinese fishermen it has arrested in a wave of navy patrols, including some from the January incident. Some observers speculate that rather than being strictly concerned with coral reefs, the Philippine government is merely jousting with China over the disputed Spratly Islands. | ||
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