The CCEF team presented the project’s potential technological assistance to strengthen coastal law enforcement and will also serve as a database containing marine protected area key information and details for internal and external usage. The preliminary project of the UNICOAST program and the operations of the agriculture office were discussed, along with the potential re-validation of the municipal government’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) technical descriptions, and baseline survey via biophysical assessments (covering mangroves, seagrass, & coral reefs).
One of the major aspects discussed was the Pre and Post-Typhoon Odette Biophysical Assessment Comparative Report. The agriculture office agreed to support the project as it saw its importance and complementary role in outlawing, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on municipal waters. Fish wardens and PO’s focal people expressed concerns about the present state of coastal protection’s efficacy and the need for authorized agencies to intervene to avert irreversible effects on their marine and coastal habitats.
The CCEF team enacted to conduct a post-typhoon Odette biophysical assessment to appraise the degree of damage induced by the typhoon to the partners’ municipal governments of Dumanjug and Badian’s marine ecosystems (mangroves, seagrass, and coral reefs). The team also committed the People Organization (PO) concerns expressed during the discussion at MAO Badian through technical and legal advice if deemed relevant.