Marine Conservation Philippines

Marine Conservation Philippines is ensuring the protection of local MPAs by distinguishing the boundaries, installing signage, and creating site specific education on the importance of MPAs. 

Marine Conservation Philippines is educating their local community on where the Marine Protected Areas are, how they benefit the local economy, and the diverse wildlife within the MPAs.

“Zamboanguita Municipality is home for Marine Conservation Philippines, so the opportunity to have such a positive impact on our local waters and the communities they support is a wonderful thing!”  said Matthew Forshaw, Science Officer and Head of Monitoring.

Marine Conservation Philippines uses PADI AWARE Foundation Funding to collaborate with “many community stakeholders - from local fisher folk to local government”  to fully and effectively demarcate the boundary areas of the 8 marine protected areas (MPA's) situated in the Municipality of Zamboanguita. “These MPAs have been established with the aim of providing food security for the many local communities that rely on these waters for a big portion of their diet, mainly through fish,” said Forshaw.

In addition to demarcation, the funding allows the organization to create signage at each site to indicate the presence of the protected areas, and the fact that fishing is prohibited within their boundaries. Additionally, the funding will create site specific educational material to explain and highlight the importance of MPAs and how they can benefit the local community, as well as showcasing some of the incredible animals that inhabit them.

“This money means a lot to our community,” reflects Forshaw  “We've been involved in demarcation activities for several years, but due to budget limitations we've never had the opportunity to enact such a focused and comprehensive demarcation project.”

Why are the members of Marine Conservation Philippines motivated to protect these areas? “It's impossible to spend any time in the water without also gaining some appreciation of the fundamental role that our oceans play in supporting life on Earth, on both a local and a global scale. With this, comes a sense of stewardship, expressed through our actions as marine conservationists.” 

Want to see more of Marine Conservation Philippines in action?

You can follow along with Marine Conservation Philippines and the demarcation project on their website, Instagram, Facebook, or on https://www.padi.com/aware.