PALOMPON, Leyte – To prevent the destruction of coral reefs in one of the top tourist destinations in Leyte, the local government has stepped up its efforts to stop the proliferation of crown-of-thorns (COTs) on Kalanggaman Island.

SEVERAL destructive crown-of-thorns starfish were extracted in Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte.  (Raoul Bacalla)

"The situation is manageable but we are preventing this from causing problems in the future," he said. According to Oceana, an international advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans, COTs are known to be more successful at preying on large swaths of coral reefs when the corals are already stressed. "During times of coral bleaching or stresses caused by human activities, outbreaks of the crown-of-thorn starfish may be particularly destructive." Instead of poisoning them, the LGU tapped the locals to carefully remove and prevent them from regenerating and multiplying. The LGU has been practicing COT extraction for years to prevent an outbreak. They intend to tap  the TUPAD or Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers for the ongoing COT extraction on the island. Kalanggaman Island is a 750-meter-long uninhabited island known for its long white sand beach and 700-meter panoramic sandbar on the eastern side and 250-meter long sandbar on the western part.