Management, protection of marine sanctuaries DENR’s top priority
CEBU CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Visayas will prioritize the long-term protection and management of coastal and marine ecosystems in the region.
Eddie Llamedo, chief of the DENR regional office’s planning management division told Manila Bulletin setting up a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) or sanctuaries is one of the top programs of the Duterte administration.
Llamedo said the 10-year program which will be launched next year seeks to ensure the sustainability of coastal resources and protect them from environmental threats.
The priority areas in Central Visayas include the Tanon Strait Protected Seascape in Cebu and Negros Oriental, the Panglao Island Protected Seascape, the Talibon Group of Islands Protected Seascape, the Albutquerque-Loay-Loboc Protected Landscape and Seascape in Bohol and the Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape in Negros Oriental.
The protection and management of these areas will be part of an integrated approach that includes closer partnership with stakeholders and also takes into account sustainable tourism.
Law enforcement, protection, education and public awareness communication advocacy campaigns and valuation of ecosystem services will also be high on DENR’s agenda, Llamedo said.
In an interview DENR Regional Director Gilbert Gonzales underscored the need to share responsibilities among stakeholders in the sustainable management of the coastal and marine resources and habitats.
“These are huge factors in the success of this program. We need to immediately address the long-term problems in our ecosystems for food security, climate change resiliency,” Gonzales said.
He said the restoration and protection of degraded coastal marine habitats are vital to the ecological process and survival of the depleted, threatened, rare and endangered species.
The program also prioritizes the assessment and mapping of the coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove areas and mudflats, Gonzales added.