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CORAL TRIANGLE

The Coral Triangle describes a marine expanse that straddles the Indian and Pacific
oceans. This area is known to environmentalists to be one of extreme abundance of marine life
and significant biodiversity. The Coral Triangle includes some or all of the land and oceanic
areas of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon
Islands, and Timor-Leste.

IMPORTANCE OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE


The Coral Triangle is unique and important because it is home to the highest
concentration of marine species on the planet. The Coral Triangle, often called “the Amazon of
the seas”, it comprises only 1.6% of the total area of the earth’s oceans, the Coral Triangle is
home to 76% of all known coral species; 37% of all known coral-reef fish species; 53% of the
world’s coral reefs; and the most extensive mangrove forests in the world, the latter being
spawning and juvenile growth areas for tuna and other commercial fish species of global
importance. No other area on earth contains as many marine species as this region.

While these rich marine and coastal resources provide significant economic and social
benefits to 360 million residents of the Coral Triangle particularly the 120 million residents who
live on or near its coastlines. These resources are a source of food, income, recreation, and
culture. They also protect both the coastline and its residents from the damaging impacts of
extreme weather events.

THREATS TO THE CORAL TRIANGLE


Scientific studies have shown that 90% of the Coral Triangle’s rich and unique resources
are threatened by overfishing; use of destructive fishing practices; unsustainable development
along the country’s coastline; pollution originating in the agriculture, industry, transport, and
domestic sectors; and elevated sediment loads caused by unsustainable removal of forest
cover. Population growth in the country’s coastal areas has amplified these threats; thus,
compromising food security and socioeconomic stability in coastal communities. Climate
change has further exacerbated these impacts.
If these threats continue, the Coral Triangle’s reef systems will be decimated together
with the fish and marine organisms that it supports and seriously undermine the world’s marine
biodiversity pool and the region’s food security situation. These threats will also directly impact
the livelihoods and food security of the 364 million people who live within the Coral Triangle’s.

CORAL TRIANGLE INITIATIVE ON CORAL REEFS, FISHERIES AND FOOD SECURITY (CTI-CFF)
The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security addresses
the threats to sustainability referred to above through a multilateral partnership that includes
the six CTI member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines,
Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
The CTI’s primary objective is safeguarding Coral Triangle coastal and marine resources
for future generations. The Philippines’ National Coordinating Committee (NCC) for the CTI is
co-chaired by DENR and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the
Department of Agriculture.

NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION INITIATIVES AND FUTURE PLANS

The Philippines National Coordinating Committee for the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI)
envisioned a National Plan of Action (NPOA) that addresses the issues faced by the country’s
coastal and marine resources. The country’s National Plan of Action (NPOA) for coastal and
marine resources therefore includes five goals:

Goal 1: Priority seascapes designated and effectively managed


Goal 2: Ecosystem approach to management of fisheries and other marine resources
fully applied
Goal 3: Marine protected areas established and effectively managed
Goal 4: Climate change adaptation measures achieved
Goal 5: Threatened species status improving

All aspects of the Philippines’ NPOA are consistent with the CTI principles and
guidelines. Further, each of the five goals set out above includes appropriate strategies and
quantitative targets.

PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN FULFILLING THE FIVE CTI GOALS EMBODIED IN THE PHILIPPINES
NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION

Under Goal 1 (priority seascapes), comprise large-scale geographies that have been
prioritized for both investment and action. Under these investments and actions, best practices
are to be applied and their use expanded two seascapes have been designated. These include
the Sulu– Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion and the West Philippine Sea (or South China Sea).

With regard to Goal 2, application of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries


management (EAFM), national EAFM policies are being drafted for management of tuna, and
for the live reef food fish trade.

For Goal 3, it include community based resource utilization and management. MPAs,
270,000 ha (2,700 km2) or 0.1% of the Philippines’ coral reefs are under some form of
protection. The target is for 2% of coral reefs to be protected by 2015, and 10% of each coral
reef and mangrove habitat to be protected by 2020. An assessment performed by the Marine
Protected Area Support Network in 2011 showed that 1,620 MPAs have been established, and
are managed locally. The MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tool was used to assess
110 MPAs that together cover 7% (31,520 ha) of the Philippines’ total MPA area of 393,994 ha.
For mangroves, 57% (80,000 ha) of the remaining mangroves are under some form of
protection, and mangrove replanting activities continue in many municipalities.
There are some mangrove areas with 100% (full) protection. There has been an increase
in the number of Marine Key Biodiversity Areas in the Philippines’ marine biogeographic
regions in the past 2 years, except in the southeastern Philippine Sea. About two-thirds of the
Marine Key Biodiversity Areas are located in the Visayan Sea (Visayas region), with smaller
numbers located in the Sulu Sea and West Philippine Sea (or South China Sea).

To address Goal 4 (climate change adaptation), climate change vulnerabilities relating to


marine and coastal environments have been identified. The RESILIENT SEAS Program of the
Department of Science and Technology and the Marine Science Institute of the University of the
Philippines (UPMSI) established the framework and initial activities relating to vulnerability
assessments of coastal areas, nearshore habitats, fisheries, and fishing communities. This
initiative also identified climate typologies in the Philippines that complement existing
climatological classifications. Research has also established oceanographic, biophysical,
fisheries, and socioeconomic indicators that are integral to climate change vulnerability
assessments. This program engages national and local governments, as well as academic
institutions in various activities, in the formulation of adaptation strategies in particular.

Under Goal 5 (status of threatened species), action plans have been prepared for
conserving and monitoring the status of threatened species, such as sharks. Action plans are
likewise being formulated for other species under the auspices of the Turtle National Action
Plan and the Marine Mammal Action Plan. The Philippines NPOA calls for completion of species
action plans for seabirds, wrasses, and other reef fishes by 2015. Threatened species being
considered for restocking efforts include giant clams, scallops, and top shells.

Other initiatives listed in the Philippines’ NPOA relate to capacity building, sustainable
financing schemes, and public awareness. One innovative initiative is the university mentoring
program, which aims to transfer knowledge and skills from centers of excellence to institutions
of higher education. This makes the latter better equipped to assist local government units
(LGUs), particularly on the technical aspects of coastal resource management and NPOA
implementation. On sustainable financing, a range of mechanisms (e.g., payments for
ecosystem services [PES]) for generating additional funding for government agencies at both
the national and local levels have been identified. Such additional funding will enable these
governmental units to undertake activities that help fulfill the goals of the Philippines’ NPOA.

References:

1. STATE OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE: Philippines, published by Asian Development Bank (2014)
2. Coral Triangle Initiative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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