The protected reefs off the coast of Pilar town in Sorsogon have seen a notable increase in fish population, two years after the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines led a study on the extent of damage suffered by the reefs.
In its latest study, the WWF-Philippines, together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 5 (Bicol Region), CBP Marine Services, and Palompon Institute of Technology, found that fish populations have come back in the protected reefs of Pilar, Sorsogon.
They particularly looked at, among other factors, the average biomass of the area that shows how much fish can be expected in a given area.
Based on the study, the average biomass of the reef fishes off the coast of Pilar was listed as “moderate,” but the increase was almost double the average biomass reported during the last reef study conducted in 2017.
There had also been an increase in the number of target species of fish present in the reefs. Target species are selected for long-term study to provide a detailed picture of the progress of an ecosystem.
The WWF-Philippines study revealed that “more than a quarter of the reef fish off the coast of Pilar were fusiliers and snappers.”
“This was a marked increase compared to the 2017 study,” it added.
While reef fish populations have recovered, WWF-Philippines said, however, “much of the physical structure of the reef remains in poor condition.”
Hard coral constituted less than 2 percent of the reef, while most of the surface area was covered by soft corals and macroalgae. This is also because of siltation coming from the river that hinders reef-building hard corals to grow, it added.
The study suggested the conduct of coral transplanting and establishment of artificial reefs in damaged areas to help the reef structure recover.
Likewise, it emphasized the ridge-to-reef approach in making management plans among local government units. “Our highlands should also be given equal importance to address siltation coming from the river,” WWF-Philippines said.
“The restoration of the beauty of the marine protected areas of Pilar and of the municipalities surrounding the Ticao-Burias Pass Protected Seascape (TBPPS) will come as a big improvement to the biodiversity of this important region,” WWF-Philippines project manager Jun Narvadez said in a statement.
The municipality of Pilar is part of the TBPPS, which is recognized as an important habitat for whale shark and manta ray.
WWF-Philippines has been active in the Ticao-Burias Pass since 1998, working with local communities toward securing the TBPPS environment for the sake of its wild inhabitants.
The group noted that, in past years, the reefs off the coast of Pilar had been subjected to blast fishing, a practice where homemade explosives are thrown into the sea in order to stun fish and make them easier to catch.
The practice of blast fishing, combined with changes in climate, led to a drop in biodiversity and reef productivity where much of the reef cover had been turned into rubble, and dominated by sand, algae, and soft corals, as opposed to reef-building hard corals, it added.
It noted that a municipal ordinance was put forward in 2005, designating the reefs off the coast of Pilar as a marine protected area (MPA).
The study conducted in 2017 then revealed a small increase in biodiversity since the establishment of the MPA, a trend which continued to the present day, WWF-Philippines said.