One of the municipalities with the longest shorelines in Southeast Cebu is the municipality of Argao. Composed of 10 coastal barangays, Argao has issued an ordinance mandating all barangays to have a marine sanctuary that is at least 12 hectares in size.
One of it’s most unique Marine Sanctuaries is the Casay Marine Sanctuary. Casay Marine Sanctuary is Argao’s largest shoal and boasts of a unique coral wall formation. Unfortunately, because of the many threats that the Argao MPAs face which include overfishing, siltation and the lack of enforcement have led its MPAs to be mostly ruined and almost devoid of any fish and corals. In CCEF’s last MPA MEAT assessment, all Argao MPAs are currently at MPA level 1 and needs several interventions and MPA planning to improve conservation and enforcement efforts.
Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, in collaboration government agencies of Argao, Cebu and academe, supports coastal resource management and MPA initiatives in the Philippines. One of the objectives of the Project is to increase the capacity of LGUs, MPA management bodies, people’s organizations to increase management effectiveness.
One
of the popular ways of preserving/protecting these marine habitats and
regulating exploitation within these critical habitats is the establishment of
Marine Protected Area (MPA) or Fish sanctuaries. This mechanism has been tested
through times that if enforced and implemented, objectives of its establishment
will probably be met.
The Management Plan is a
document which sets out the management approach and goals, together with a
framework for decision making, to apply in a specific protected area over a
given period. Critical to the plan is the widest possible consultation with
stakeholders and the development of objectives that can be agreed and adhered
to by all who have an interest in the use and ongoing survival of the area
concerned. These Guidelines, based on best practice drawn from many areas to
represent a working framework for protected area planners to consider and adapt
to their needs and circumstances. The marine protected areas (MPAs) provide information for
the management bodies to address certain threats based on their management
plan. The MPA management bodies of Argao, Cebu have undergone several
capacity building and assessments to further improve their capacities. CCEF
organization, task to conduct and formulate the Marine Protected Area and
Management Plan.
