Environmental Issue in the Philippines Essays

Environmental Issue in the Philippines Essays Environmental Issue in the Philippines Paper Environmental Issue in the Philippines Paper Currently, the Valetudinarianisms of Environmental and Natural Resources has been busy tracking down illegal loggers and been spearheading projects to preserve the quality of many remaining rivers that are not yet polluted. The Philippines is the country of beauty and breath taking views,but time past and a lot has changed. We were IRRESPONSIBLE,NEGLECTFUL, and INSENSITIVE.. There are few signs today of the Philippines once sprawling rainforests. With a growing trend in human population, it is hoped that the countrys environment will not suffer the same fate. Overfeeding and destructive fishing The Philippines ranked 1 lath among the top fish producing countries in 2003 with the production of 2. 63 million tones of fish, crustaceans, mollusks and aqua plants. As an archipelago state with over 2. 2 million km of highly productive seas, the Philippines has vast fishery resources, and the most biodiversity marine area in the world. However all the countrys main fish pieces and marine organisms are showing signs of overfeeding. The main species fished are small pelagic, tuna and other large pelagic fish, demurral fish and invertebrates. The tuna fisheries became the largest and most valuable fisheries in the Philippines in the sass, and the country became the number one producer of tuna in southeast Asia in the sass. However, as the catch began to decline, Filipino fishing companies began fishing in international waters. The state of demurral stocks in Filipino waters is a real cause for concern. The main reason is over-capacity in he fishing fleet but, although concerns were raised as early as the 1 9605, a lack of control has meant that many species have been virtually eliminated. The deep-sea fisheries resources are in many case uncharted and unknown and are relatively unexploited; however, the one deep sea fishery that has been exploited, the dogfish shark fishery, has seen the collapse of the species, so there is a clear need for proper protection and management of these areas. The authorities have made real efforts to crack down on illegal fishing by both Filipino fishers and foreign fishers (mainly Chinese), at the national and regional levels. Illegal fishing in the Autobahn Reef National Marine park has been highlighted by global conservation groups during 2007 . Problems faced by the authorities include persistent cyanide fishing, corruption by local officials, and links to serious crime, which have resulted in a number of murders of those enforcing the laws. However, some regions have seen dramatic falls in illegal fishing activities as a result of tighter controls. Fishers in the Philippines are increasingly coming home with pitiful catches. Of a number of factors which have led to this situation, one stands out: over-fishing in many areas. According to thespian Development Bank (DAB), there has been a drop of 90% in the quantity of marine organisms that can be trawled in some traditional fishing areas of the Philippines. This sinusitis a question of declining fish stocks and biodiversity, but also of social impacts and economic losses. Mismanagement of fisheries resources is estimated to cost SIS$ 420 million annually in lost revenues. At the root of the overfeeding problem is weak fisheries management, ineffective policies and poor enforcement of fishery laws-Philippine seas supply food for the whole country and livelihood for millions of people. Fisheries are economically, culturally, socially and ecologically important to all Filipinos. These resources are in crisis as evidenced by the declining fish catch, size and species composition around the country. The current condition of fisheries in the Philippines and worldwide is bleak. Overfeeding, illegal fishing and habitat destruction combined with increased demand for fish and population growth continue to drive fisheries production into a deeper abyss. Seemingly impossible just 20 years ago, protein deficiency among fishing communities is now increasing at an alarming rate CORE PROBLEMS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ; Loss of marine biodiversity ; Declining fish stocks ;Loss of revenues and benefits from fisheries and coastal resources Overfeeding ; Illegal and destructive fishing ; Coastal and habitat degradation ; Isolation and pollution ; Post-harvest losses ; Inefficient marketing Inequitable distribution of benefits from fisheries and coastal resource uses I Open access ; Inter- and intra-sector conflicts ; Low awareness and participation in management Lack of employment/poverty among municipal fishers ; Population growth Low awareness of the implications of overpopulation and food security ; Lack of delivery mechanisms for reproductive health programs in rural coastal communities I ; Inconsistent policies and programs for sustainable fisheries Continued investments in production-oriented programs ; Conflicting and fragmented national policies ; Weak institutional and stakeholder capacity to plan and implement fisheries management Absence of a vision for institutional change to supp ort sustainable fisheries ; Inadequate technical and financial support to LOGIC fisheries management initiatives ;Weak and inadequate law enforcement Inadequate interagency coordination mechanisms for fisheries and coastal source management ; Coastal infrastructure development Coastal zone development has been particularly damaging to the Philippines marine environment, especially to coral reefs, mangroves, and grasses. As populations have increased, so have their needs for construction materials and living space. Excavation, dredging and coastal conversion to accommodate coastal development have seen corals being extracted for reclamation and construction, especially in coastal villages. Mangroves have particularly suffered from coastal development, notably at the hands of the aquaculture industry. In the Philippines, aquaculture has reduced mangrove stands to only 36% Of 1900 levels. The evolution of the present regulations governing fisheries can be traced as far back as the Spanish Law on Waters in 1866, which recognized the right of the public to fish from the shore and granted rights to Spanish registered seafarers and merchant sailors to fish from boats in maritime coastal zones. The Spanish Law on Waters was extended to the Philippines by a Royal Decree in 1 866 (Penn 1997). The decree declared that the shores, coasts and coastal seas were part of the national domain, though open to public use. As early as 1598, Antonio De Morgan demanded that a regulation size net be prescribed for use and complained that fishing with too closely-knit nets was killing small fry (De Morgan 1 971 Fisheries regulation remained relatively unchanged during the Spanish period-Fishery laws in the Philippines did not change until the Congress enacted the Fisheries Code of 1998. While it contains more specific provisions on sustainable development of resources, it has not changed the orientation of the law in emphasizing exploitation. The new code emphasizes food security, personalization of local fishers in the allocation of reveilles and benefits and sustainable development, among others. It provides for limiting excessive resources through quotas, closed seasons, restrictions on the use of destructive fishing gear, understanding fishery reserves and sanctuaries. A significant change in the new code is the devolution of management to local governments. Municipal waters, extending up to 15 km offshore, are under the control of municipal and city governments. The national government retains control of waters beyond the municipal jurisdictions. This is in line with the general principle of devolution ender the LLC, which was passed seven years earlier. The LLC transferred to local governments broad powers of environmental protection, but especially control over the coastal areas within their jurisdictions. The LLC, however, focused on permits and fiscal matters. Now, with the Fisheries Code, general management and development powers are given to the local governments. A few months before the enactment of the new Fisheries Code, Congress passed the FAME, which focuses on food security and global competitiveness in the agriculture and fisheries sector and ensures the equitable sharing of benefits among stakeholders. The act aims to provide financial and technical support to the agro-fisheries industry in its modernization effort. Urban Development and Waste Disposal Settlement includes shelter and all other necessary infrastructures such as roads, water supply,energy sources, transportation, community buildings and other facilities. To date, population density haciendas tremendously from 64. 1 in 1948 to 228. 7 in 1 995 (NCSC 1996). Over 60% of the total population resides in some 10 000 coastal Barings, including some larger urban centers (COPE 1997). A number of subdivisions are situated in coastal zones. Some foreshore areas are being reclaimed to house residential, commercial and industrial establishments in order to address the increasing demands of arbitration. A recent development is the practice of building resorts, factories and buildings right on the shore, even abutting the sea, in clear violation of mandatory easement rules. Together with the increase in the number of coastal communities is the need for transportation facilities. Natural land forms influence the major road networks of the countrys coastal provinces. Roads run along the coastlines which branch out as minor arteries leading inland. The government should make more action regarding this issues,specially the people in squatter areas they always do improper disposal of waste. The problem of waste disposal is especially acute in urban areas.