Responding to fish extinctions: ES Department’s Darwin Initiative Project No. 19-020

Responding to fish extinctions:  ES Department’s Darwin Initiative Project No. 19-020

The Philippines is one part of the region where marine biodiversity reaches its greatest level globally, and Palawan, Danajon Bank (Bohol), Verde Island Passage, Polilio Island and Surigao del Sur are key sites where this phenomenal wealth of marine life can be found. Yet there is glaring habitat destruction and fish catches are declining. A previous study in two villages in Bohol indicated that local fish extinctions had occurred but this needs urgent testing at larger scale and nowhere more so than in these 5 key marine biodiversity areas.

To respond to this knowledge and management gap the Environmental Science Department of the School of Science and Engineering and collaborators Newcastle University UK and Haribon Foundation have started the implementation of a project entitled Responding to fish extirpations in the global marine biodiversity epicenter after its project launch and inception workshop last May 14, 2012. The project duration is from April 2012 to March 2016.  The Project is headed by Prof. Nicholas Polunin and Dr. Margarita N. Lavides.

To respond to this knowledge and management gap the Environmental Science Department of the School of Science and Engineering and collaborators Newcastle University UK and Haribon Foundation have started the implementation of a project entitled Responding to fish extirpations in the global marine biodiversity epicenter after its project launch and inception workshop last May 14, 2012. The project duration is from April 2012 to March 2016.  The Project is headed by Prof. Nicholas Polunin and Dr. Margarita N. Lavides.

The only feasible source of long-term information resides in the recollections of fishermen but time is running out if the information on species loss embedded in 40-50 years of fishers’ knowledge is to be captured. Other sources of data include underwater visual census and fish landings. This project will identify threatened/locally extinct fish species in these 5 locations, model temporal fish abundance trends and drivers of such trends such as life history, fishing pressure and climate change, i.e. increased sea surface temperature and recommend relevant policies at multiple scales. Further at conservation site (Surigao del Sur), capacity for resource management of LGUs and POs  will be enhanced while conservation needs will be reconciled with sustainable livelihoods.