The live reef fish trade or LRFT is one of the most important fisheries within the Philippines. The industry is worth millions of dollars, the main markets being Hong Kong and China. After years of almost unregulated collection driven by the exponential growth of demand in the last decade, wild stocks for this commerciallyimportant trade are being harvested at unsustainable levels.

In support of the LRFT Coral Triangle Network Initiative, the project works for strategic relationships with partners and stakeholders at the national level to support the development and implementation of appropriate policy instruments toward the sustainability of the LRFT industry. The project propels the development of the LRFT sustainability plan in the municipality of Taytay in Palawan.

The DANIDA Thematic Programme in the Coral Triangle

Forming the core of the Earth's Coral Triangle, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park stands out as the best-managed offshore marine protected area in the country. WWF and the Tubbataha Park Office have established practical systems to sustain operations: diver fees, no-take zones and expansion of park boundaries are dramatically increasing marine biomass. The Tubbataha Reefs are the most productive in the country, annually producing 210 metric tonnes of seafood per square kilometre. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1993, the area constantly seeds adjoining regions such as eastern Palawan, western Visayas and western Mindanao with fish and invertebrate spawn, generating over a Billion dollars of marine produce that feed 35 million Filipinos each year.

Sustainable ecotourism, mariculture and microfinance have been the primary thrusts for the neighboring municipality of Cagayancillo. The project is supported by Cebu Pacific Air Corporation plus grants from the Global Environment Facility through the United Nations Development Program, World Congress on Protected Areas and the Homeland Foundation through WWF-US.

Apo Reef, Mindoro

The largest and one of the most productive coral reefs in Asia, the Apo Reef Natural Park spans 27,469-hectares and sustains the commercial and artisanal fisheries of Occidental Mindoro. An effective coastal resource management scheme has succeeded in closing off the park to all forms of fishing. Present initiatives center on the development of climate adaptation schemes to help local residents cope with worsening climate effects. This project is supported by Cebu Pacific Air Corporation.

Integrating Population, Reproductive Health and Coastal Resources Management Actions in Tawi-Tawi, Mindanao, Philippines
The islands of Tawi-Tawi are amongst the most potentially-productive marine ecosystems in the country. However, pollution, destructive fishing and accelerated coastal development stemming from a booming population are causing a marked decline in the region’s productivity.

Through the generous support of the European Commission, WWF is spearheading a programme to address the twin problems of overpopulation and coastal degradation. The programme aims to reduce poverty in key areas where population growth is negatively impacting the environment, aiming to infuse sustainable development techniques, resource assessment, marine protected area establishment as well as culturally-sensitive methods to limit population growth. Over the past decade, WWF has been working to reverse the accelerating coastal degradation of Tawi-Tawi in ensuring that its people enjoy environmental as well as economic benefits.

WWF-Philippines, together with two other national organizations of the WWF network - Colombia and Madagascar - initiated a four-year climate change adaptation project aimed at increasing the resilience of coastal ecosystems to maintain its provision of environmental goods and services - and reduce disaster risks and impacts in the face of future climatic conditions. Lessons and experiences will be shared among the three countries and the greater global community to influence relevant international fora and negotiations.

In the Philippines, the project is currently being implemented in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) in Davao. The target outputs are the development of local climate change adaptation action plans based on the vulnerability assessment studies in pilot coastal areas, as well as capacity building for local authorities and communities to adapt to climate change.

Despite increasing demand, several stocks of the more popular tuna species such as Bluefin, Bigeye and Yellowfin are on the verge of being overfished. The lack of adequate management measures to regulate fishing capacity, unselective fishing implements such as purse seines, ring nets, driftnets and longlines are causing this Billion-dollar industry to crash.

In an effort to help reverse the negative impacts of overfishing, the EU and US markets are implementing a sustainable seafood sourcing programme to guarantee that seafood products are from fisheries which are ecologically-viable and economically sustainable – ensuring a long-term supply of tuna.

In response, WWF-Philippines, WWF-Germany and the Blueyou Consultancy are working together in a public-private partnership with selected European companies in a four-year program geared towards sustainable tuna in the Philippines for attaining top certification under the Marine Stewardship Council’s standards by 2014. 

This program will initially be implemented in two priority sites, namely the Province of Occidental Mindoro and the Gulf of Lagonoy, targeting small-scale Yellowfin tuna fisheries. The program aims to guide small-scale fishers to more sustainable practices while simultaneously and equitably sharing market benefits. Its ultimate goal is to transform small scale tuna fishers into internationally-competitive market players - producing and supplying top-quality, catch-traceable and MSC-certified Yellowfin tuna for decades to come.