Text and Photography by NORMAN P. AQUINO
A nongovernmental organization composed of diving
enthusiasts and environmentalists is spearheading a campaign that seeks
to save the giant manta rays of Ticao island in Masbate.
Calling itself the Blue Zoo Heritage Society, Inc., the group is also
enlisting the support of several municipalities in the area to conserve
the rays through research and strong community participation.
"We
hope to duplicate the success of Donsol as a
major eco-tourism destination. With the help of the local community as
major stakeholders and beneficiaries, it can be done," said John
Paolo Calleja, one of the incorporators of the
group.
The five-year conservation program involves research and documentation
of the manta birostris, community behavior and
attitude, as well as the site's eco-tourism potential.
Mark Villanueva, who helped prepare the conservation plan, said
research as an initial project component is very significant since it
provides scientific information on the behavior, importance and role of
the manta rays.
"The concept is to gather scientific data on the
manta rays and convert analysis into an action plan for creating
understanding and protection of the sea creatures," he added.
Mr. Villanueva, a development communications specialist, said research
would help the group identify the forces under a "social marketing
environment."
The program also seeks to empower partner institutions and residents
as guardians and managers of their marine environment through an
effective communication campaign and by helping the community develop
alternative means of livelihood.
The body of water within the area of Burias
island in Sorsogon, and Ticao
island in Masbate is
known as Ticao pass. Like Donsol's
waters, it has a dense concentration of plankton, krill, and small fish,
making it ideal as a feeding ground for mantas.
Ticao, one of the three major islands of Masbate, has received scant attention
from tourists. Then news of manta sightings in the area that would later
on be called the Manta Bowl reached local and foreign divers - mostly
Japanese - who started visiting the area to get a glimpse of the friendly
creatures close to their hearts.
Unlike sightings in dive sites elsewhere, the mantas of Ticao are big. They are also almost a guarantee,
aside from the fact that they are known to linger for a while and
sometimes even get near adventure-seeking divers.
It is estimated that an average of three manta rays are being killed
in Ticao every week. This is equivalent to 144
mantas killed each year but the number could even be higher.
Fisheries Administrative Order No. 193 makes it unlawful to catch,
sell, buy, possess, transport and export whale sharks and manta rays.
These species have been declared protected creatures.
Mantas or devilfishes are found in temperate and tropical waters near
continents and island groups of all oceans.
These cartilaginous fish, also called devil rays and sea bats, have
greatly extended, wing-like pectoral fins. The
largest, the Atlantic manta, can measure up to seven meters from tip to
tip of the fins.
Giant manta rays have also been spotted in Tubbataha
reefs off Sulu sea near Palawan.
The manta is characterized by a pair of forward-pointing lobes on each
side of the head, with a presumed resemblance to a devil's horns.
These lobes are used to guide plankton and small crustaceans into the
fish's mouth as it cruises near the surface; dense gill rakers extract the plankton. The fish is generally
harmless to humans.
Blue Zoo representatives noted that instead of a handful of people
profiting from the mantas' killings, people from the municipalities of Monreal, San Jacinto, San
Fernando and Batuan
stand to benefit more from the conservation of mantas.
The conservation program also seeks to strengthen the capabilities of
partner institutions and organizations in marine conservation, resource
use and eco-tourism.
Meanwhile, an information campaign will seek to create awareness
leading to behavioral change in the local community.
This will be done through video documentaries, radio plugs, leaflets
and other printed materials. The program will also try to introduce
ecologically sustainable activities or alternative income-generating
projects such as eco-tourism and other environmentally sustainable means
of livelihood.
To ensure the success of eco-tourism, the program will study the site
for other attractions as well as promote Ticao
as a tourism investment destination.
The last phase of the five-year program involves project evaluation
and monitoring to ensure the environment is preserved during the course
of eco-tourism activities.
Copyright ©2004 BusinessWorld Publishing Corp.
