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An Endangered Coastal Environment
But time is not on the coastal communities’ side: Overfishing, over-exploitation and pollution are putting tremendous strain on Philippine coastal resources, resulting in the loss of fishery habitats, water quality and various types of marine life from corals to seagrasses to fishes. Already vulnerable to natural phenomena such as typhoons, cyclones and coastal storms, coastal communities are facing even greater risk from all kinds of unmanaged and potentially harmful human activities. Open access has resulted in over-exploitation of coastal resources -- 11 of the Philippines’ 50 major fishing grounds are overfished: San Miguel Bay, Lamon Bay, Lingayen Gulf, Manila Bay, the Batangas coastline, Ragay Gulf, Moro Gulf, Davao Gulf, Samar Sea, Visayas Sea, and the Pacific side of Bohol. Dynamite fishing, the use of cyanide, industrial pollution, domestic wastes and siltation are destroying the coral reefs. Mangrove forests are being converted into fishponds, beach resorts and residential and industrial estates, further reducing the natural habitats of the various fish, shellfish and crustaceans found in the coastal areas. The result: declining fish catch, which has already led to a situation where most fishing activities are becoming economically non-viable. Fishery experts say that in many areas around the country today, the limits of sustainable fishing has already been reached or even exceeded.
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