Thanks to a community-based marine management program destructive fishing practices ceased by 1997.

Location: Central Visayas, Philippines

Signs of progress: In the late 1970s, blast and cyanide fishing, as well as other destructive fishing practices, threatened these and other reefs in Central Visayas. Thanks to a community-based marine management program, put in place in the mid-1980s, these practices ceased by 1997. Under this program, Silliman University staff helped organize local people into marine management committees. These groups then set up marine reserves that included no-fishing sanctuaries on one portion of the reef. With the aid of municipal governments, residents have continued to prevent reef damage from fishermen and divers, both within and outside the sanctuaries. A growing tourism industry catering to scuba divers is providing much needed revenue to local communities. In 1992, surveys indicated that live coral cover and fish populations within the sanctuaries had increased substantially along with fish yields per unit area off Apo Island.

Related Links

• Center of Excellence in Coastal Resources Management
  Dedicated to community-based resources management.
• One Ocean
  Provides technical assistance and training to local governments and communities in coastal resource management.