DENR orders closure of Snake Island in Palawan

The Ecosystems and Research Development Bureau (ERDB) has urged local government units (LGUs) to demarcate no-fishing zones in coral bleached Snake Island in El Nido, Palawan to allow the coral reefs to fully recover.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the ERDB, ordered the closure of the Snake Island from the public due to coral bleaching in 2012.

Coral bleaching is a phenomenon caused by global warming. Aside from increased sea temperatures, other causes of stress include disease, pollution, sedimentation, cyanide fishing, changes in salinity and storms.

Once brown and green, bleached corals turn white, and eventually lose the ability to produce food and slowly starve to death.

While a rehabilitation program has shown initial success, ERDB’s monitoring team still finds reason to advise a fishing ban in identified areas to save the coral reefs.

In a 2016 review of DENR-ERDB, they discovered that significant portions of the reef have started to provide spaces for settlement of young coral colonies.

However, some parts have been found to have high algal cover which is known to hinder the recovery of affected corals.

According to the ERDB Director Sofio Quintana, “in order to protect the Island and to help in the recovery of the corals in the area, there is a need to delineate areas for fishing and non-fishing. This will allow the coral reefs to recover”.

Jose Isidro Michael Padin, ERDB’s Supervising Science Research Specialist, explained that ERDB’s effort to restore corals in Snake Island is worth it.

“Hard corals can survive a bleaching event and return to their normal state unless the unfavorable conditions continue for a prolonged period of time,” he said.