Author Topic: Pamilacan’s Manta Trade  (Read 933 times)

hazel

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Pamilacan’s Manta Trade
« on: February 13, 2008, 01:55:11 AM »
WWF

On a white-sand beach in Pamilacan, Bohol, a small fishing boat lands ashore. By the rear hold, several large triangular objects attract the eye.

Soon they are instantly recognizable. Dead manta rays.

The fishermen begin to unload the night’s catch. Locally called sanga, Pamilacan’s mantas are usually caught at night, their slow speed and tendency to surface making them easy prey for men armed with powerful strobes and drift nets. Most are gaffed and towed whilst still alive. Dropped off in piers and ports, they are soon carted off for slaughter and sale. Tails are cut off to make souvenirs.

Typical market prices for sanga meat range from P40 to P60 per kilo, depending on quality. Dark meat is cheaper.

Dried sanga strips go for P500 – P800 per kilo. Indeed a visit to the market reveals the extraordinary wealth and productivity of the area. Alongside are other creatures sold off as food: blue-spotted stingrays, moray eels, reef fish and assorted shellfish. Their size and number too, have dwindled.

Deemed illegal in 1998 by Fisheries Administrative Order 193, the trade in manta meat goes on - as it has for generations. Locals have termed the smaller mantas pagi or stingray. Slaughtering stingray is not yet illegal, so the fishermen have a convenient legal loophole.

Lory Tan, WWF-CEO says, “The presence of large elasmobranchs is a plus for ecology-based tourism. Not only do they provide the tourists with something to see, they also perform an ecological role that contributes to tourism – they keep the water clear. Clear water always attracts tourists.”

Pamilacan Island once had more whale sharks than any other area in the Philippines, Cabilao Island had a world-famous school of resident hammerhead sharks, and dwarf bryde’s whales thrived in Bohol’s rich waters. They have now passed into the bellies of the hungry - and into story. How much longer before the mantas follow suit?

WWF, the global conservation organization, has been working with the local government and stakeholders of Bohol to promote ecotourism as a viable alternative to unsustainable fishing methods, such as hunting of charismatic species like whales and dolphins.

With strong support from the Provincial Government of Bohol and the Municipal LGU of Baclayon, WWF’s initiatives have already proven tremendously successful, with dozens of fishermen moving from whale hunting to whale watching operations.

However, not all can leave behind the ways of yesterday. The killing of mantas and even small numbers of dolphins threaten to set back what WWF and the local government have accomplished. It is now imperative that the people of Bohol work together to find a solution, especially since the loss of these charismatic species may lead to the eventual loss of Bohol’s differential advantage as a tourism destination.

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