Pangatalan – Sea Academy Project
The island of Palawan in the Philippines is a world-renowned biodiversity hotspot. However, the pressures on its biodiversity are constantly increasing. The main threats stem from overfishing and destructive practices, including blast fishing, cyanide fishing, and compressor fishing. In response to these challenges, the Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation (SEF), founded in 2012 and based on the island of Pangatalan, has set itself the mission of protecting, conserving, and restoring natural resources by engaging local communities in more environmentally friendly practices.
To accomplish this mission, four objectives were envisioned. First, to create three marine protected areas (MPAs) with a high level of protection in collaboration with local communities. Second, to restore damaged coral reefs using artificial structures and to repopulate fish in these MPAs. Third, to assess the condition of coral reefs, fishery resources, fishing catches, and the food security of the local population. Finally, to raise awareness and educate local schools and stakeholders about marine conservation and the effective management of MPAs.
A Network of Marine Protected Areas
The project facilitated the establishment of three community-managed marine protected areas, which, together with the existing Pangatalan MPA, form a network. Combined, these four MPAs and their buffer zones cover a total area of 241 hectares, where fishing is strictly prohibited. Within a 500-meter radius around the core MPAs, only small-scale fishing (using lines and gillnets) is permitted, while the use of fish traps, which can catch hundreds of kilograms of fish at once, is banned to encourage fish dispersion around the protected areas.
Reef Restoration
Sulubaaï has developed an artificial reef model called “Prothèse-Sulu-Reef” (SRP) designed to stabilize coral debris fields impacted by dynamite or climatic events and to propagate coral colonies on-site. Studies of around thirty species revealed a 76% survival rate for coral cuttings on the artificial reefs, as well as natural recruitment of coral larvae and other organisms such as algae and sponges. To date, approximately 300 SRP artificial reefs have been installed in the bay, supporting around 3,000 coral colonies. The project employs the "post-larvae capture and culture" (PCC) technique developed by Ecocean, which involves capturing wild fish post-larvae and raising them to the juvenile stage to enhance their survival chances. In 2023, Sulubaaï established an operational "fishlab," where 1,424 fish of 21 species have already been released. Soon, the fishlab will be capable of releasing 10,000 wild fish to repopulate the bay.
Social and Ecological Diagnosis
The project carried out an ecological assessment of marine habitats, including seagrass beds and coral reefs, using both simple techniques (visual observation) and advanced methods (photogrammetry, acoustics, environmental DNA). Monitoring within the marine protected areas classified the seagrass beds as sparse (<25%) and the coral cover as varying from low (18%) to high (36%) depending on the site. Acoustic monitoring mapped zones based on fauna activity (fish and invertebrates) and revealed an average of two dynamite explosions per day in the bay in 2022, before the establishment of community marine protected areas and surveillance. In the Pangatalan marine protected area, which has been protected for five years, there is: 3 times more biomass, 1.3 times more species, and 1.7 times more fish compared to other areas in the bay. The study demonstrated that the increase in fish populations within the protected zone "spills over" to neighboring areas, benefiting fishermen who may potentially catch more fish. However, the food security of residents is not guaranteed due to the export of fish to external markets.
Raising Awareness and Education
The goal is to empower local populations to manage their bay sustainably, which involves extensive training sessions initiated during the project. Throughout its duration, the project conducted information campaigns in the villages, highlighting the objectives and results of the marine protected areas through conferences, workshops, and documentary screenings. Approximately one thousand students and their teachers from three participating villages took part in an educational program focused on marine ecosystems. Each year, courses and workshops covered topics such as seagrass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs. A mural contest celebrated the marine environment within the schools. Additionally, a storybook, conceived by about thirty students and created by Sulubaaï, was developed with the theme of exploring the marine environment.
The Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation and Pangatalan Island
The Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation is a Franco-Philippine non-profit organisation, born of a passion for the ocean and a desire to help local communities. It is dedicated to the conservation and protection of Palawan's natural resources through environmentally friendly practices and active ecosystem restoration. Its work is mainly focused on Pangatalan Island and Shark Fin Bay.
Since its inception in 2012, Sulubaaï has progressively developed broader community-based actions for ecosystem restoration, first on land and then in the waters of the bay. Pangatalan Island has been and remains the pilot site for the foundation's activities, which are intended to be extended to the entire bay and replicated in other sites in collaboration with local populations. Since 2016, an initial 46-hectare marine protected area has been created, engaging local people, the environment and an economy based on a sustainable strategy.