New Sites for Green Mussel Culture Identified

Two new sites for green mussel culture demo trial was identified in Santiago and San Francisco, Barotac Viejo and in Poblacion and Bularan in Banate while Dangulaan in Anilao will be expanded.  These areas were found to  have sufficient supply of green mussel spats (young seeds of mussel) within the vicinity.  Water parameters were conducive to mussel culture and area is slightly protected from strong waves.  Bamboo rafts with hanging collectors will be installed along these areas to further test the viability of the technology.

Another Coral Area in Banate, Iloilo discovered

An unexploited area they called "Intrupahan" was found by BBBRMCI divers with live corals. This area was once visited by the team in 2009 where they conducted coastal

clean up. This year, BBBRMCI staff together Mayor Renerose Caborubias and some of ther staff was revisited and dive photos showed some live corals comparable to Hibotkan

Rock Sanctuary.

Plans were now focused on how this area could be protected through local legislation by the Municipality of Banate.

This area is also a potential eco-tourism destination if developed because of its prestine beach

and aesthetic environment.

Status of MPAs and projects in BBBRMCI area

Anilao Green Mussel Culture project

The green mussel harvest took place last November 2011 despite the relative small sizes of the green mussels (average shell length of only 4.85 cm and average shell thickness of 1.54 cm) as the association members were worried about the stocks being harvested by other parties who are not members of the association.

	Length (cm)	Thickness (cm)	Weight (g)
Range:	3cm - 6.25cm	1cm - 1.9cm	2g - 19g
AVERAGE:	4.85	1.54	10.05

Estimated seagrass cover in the five patches located and measured in Barotac Nuevo

			Coordinates			Approximate
						Area (m2)
BNSg1		10°54'54.3"N; 122°48'26.5"E				477.71
BNSg2		10°54'48.4"N; 122°48'26.8"E				7264.66
BNSg3		10°54'42.9"N; 122°48'24.1"E				480.14
BNSg4		10°54'16.9"N; 122°48'28.6"E				941.61
BNSg5		10°54'10.9"N; 122°48'28.7"E				4560.38
			Total			13,724.49

Barotac Nuevo Pasil Sea Grass Sanctuary

The seagrass patches of Barotac Nuevo are combinations of 3 species (Halophila ovalis, Halophila spinulosa and Halodule pinifolia) of seagrass. These patches are obviously stressed as evidenced by the exposed runners of the plants. There must be some kind of bottom-dragged fishing gear operating in the area scraping the upper layer of the sandy substrate causing the seagrass runners to be exposed.

This must have caused the patchiness in the seagrass cover in Barotac Nuevo. If this impact continues, total eradication of seagrasses in the Barotac Nuevo area is very possible in the near future as the remaining patches are already unstable. Gathering of sea cucumber (Holuthuria scabra) was also observed in this area without any regulation as the resource seemed to be free for all. Other organisms observed in the sandy seagrass patches include sea stars (Protoreaster nodosus), bay-ad (Placuna ephippium), small sand dollars and burrowing sea anemone. Fish community in the seagrass beds consists mainly of very small and very few wrasses and goatfishes ranging from 2 cm to 5 cm. Not a single commercially important fish species was observed in the five patches of seagrasses in Barotac Nuevo.

Anilao Coral Garden

The recruited massive corals on the concrete surfaces of the AR units observed during the last monitoring seemed to have grown and already starting to spread. These coral spats seemed to be demonstrating a level of sturdiness to survive the impact of heavy siltation in the area and may be a good indicator that corals, especially massive types, can really thrive in such an area.

Hibotkan Rock Sanctuary

Eleven categories (based on Survey Manual for Tropical Marine Resources by English et al., 1994.) were recorded resulting to a 52 percent live coral cover. Of the live corals, the area was dominated by massive corals (CM) with 23 % cover while branching Acropora (ACB) has the least representatives covering less than 1 % of the total transect length covered. This area is notable for high percentage of tabulate Acropora (ACT) covering around 16 % of the total transect length. Dead corals with algae (DCA) and coral rubbles (R) accounted for a total of around 34% which can be considered high for a protected area like Hibotkan Rock. This may indicate high level of both man-made and natural impacts creating undue stress to the coral reef. As for the abiotic (non-living) component, rocks (RCK) dominate. These rocks are broken pieces from the rock islet itself.

BBBRMCI Celebrated 16th Foundation Week

February 28, 1996 was the signing of the Banate Bay Resource Management Agreement of 1996 between and among the Municipalities of Anilao, Banate, Barotac Nuevo and later with Barotac Viejo in 2002. 2012 marked another challenging year for the partnership with the member Municipalities and its constituents.

To simply commemorate the occasion, a week long celebration was held with the Mangrove Planting in various areas; Dangulaan, Anilao in February 24, 2012 and in San Fernando, Barotac Viejo in February 28, 2012. February 27, 2012, study tour of graduate students from Yokohama National University in Japan and a thanksgiving mass and lecture on mangrove nursery management was conducted in March 1, 2012.

The 31 BFARMC Chairmen, Barangay Officials, PNP and some LGU personnel actively participated in all the activities.

Another Sea Turtle Rescued

A new specie of sea turtle was rescued in one of the fishermen's nets along Barangay San Juan, Barotac Viejo last February 29, 2012. Due to heightened awareness of local fishermen, reported cases of rescuing these animals had been increasing in Banate and Barotac Bay municipalities.

Along with the POs and BFARMCs, BBBRMCI continue to advocate this kind of environmental protection of marine animals.

To date, three species of marine turtle was already cited in the area. These were hawsbill, green sea turtle and the latest is the kemps ridley turtle. The latest specie is around 40-50 kilograms in weight.

Yokohama National University Students Visited BBBRMCI area

Some 24 graduate students from Yokohama National University visited Tinori-an River and the Oyster Culture Project initiated by Tinorian Small Fishermen Association and BBBRMCI. This project was a recipient of the JICA assistance in 2008-2010. Together with their Professors and counterpart institution which is UST, they got to see how oysters were cultured and harvested.

The students from came from different countries namely; Myanmar, Zembabwe, Japan, China, Kyrgyz, Mongolia, Bangladesh Ethioppia and the Philippines.

On board the BBBRMCI Monitoring Boat, the group arrived in Banate early morning of February 27, 2012 and had a cruise along Tinori-an River. Of course, some have not resisted the taste of fresh oysters, freshly harvested from bamboo rafts and stakes. The tour was facilitated by BBBRMCI staff with the recommendation from JICA Philippines office.

Public Hearing held for Anilao Marine Sanctuary

A public hearing was conducted last February 5, 2012 at Barangay Dangulaan, Anilao, Iloilo by

Sangguniang Bayan of Anilao for the proposed Anilao Marine Sanctuary The area covering 36.0

hectares consists of two delicate ecosystems; the Anilao Coral Garden (4.0 has) and the Sea

Grass Reserv e(32.0 hectares).

The crafting of this proposed ordinance was started in early 2010 and was

finalized in the late 2011. The public hearing was conducted to get the sentiments of

the affected communities and stakeholders. Affected fisherfolks aired their

sentiments but the SB stand firm on their proposal with the assurance that assistance

will be given to affected ones.

Vice Mayor June Sargado headed the public hearing together with the

Committee Chairman SB Member Warlito Araneta and other SB members of Anilao.