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Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Nests of endangered turtles found in city
By Stella A. Estremera
DAVAO -- Davao City, while among the country's highly urbanized cities, is confirmed to be the nesting ground of the endangered hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelis Olivacea), which is locally known as pawikan.
The discovery makes Davao City the only highly urbanized city in the country with such rare natural habitat for endangered wildlife species.
The site, a stretch of seaside land owned by the Aboitizes in Punta Dumalag, is just a short walk from one of the city's most populous fishing villages.
It is home to at least one dozen turtle nests as of last Saturday's visit by Department of Environment and Natural Resources central office biologist and pawikan expert Daniel Torres.
Hawksbill turtle is listed under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) Appendix I and under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as endangered (E).
Under Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 48, series of 1991, a Cites I species means "its trade is strictly prohibited except for educational, scientific, or research and study purposes."
While an IUCN classification E means "this species of wildlife is in danger of extinction and whose survival is unlikely if the causal factors continue operating."
National list
DENR AO 48, issued September 13, 1991, establishes "a national list of rare (R), endangered (E), threatened (T), vulnerable (V), indeterminate (I), and insufficiently known (K) species of Philippine wild birds, mammals, and reptiles."
Of the 125 birds, 27 mammals and 11 reptiles listed in DENR AO 48, there are six species listed Cites I and IUCN E, making the city the home to two of six endangered species. The six includes the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga Jefferyi).
The others are the Philippine crocodile (Crocodylus Mindorensis), the Olive-Ridley turtle (Lipidochelys Olivacea), the green see turtle (Chelonia Mydas), and the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea).
The discovery was coincidental to a long-awaited marine resources rehabilitation project of City Councilor Leo Avila III in Punta Dumalag.
As the funds for the artificial reef, a component of the project, was finally released after more than a year of waiting, Avila's consultant, Ernesto Sta. Cruz, finally started building the concrete reef module that sparked curiosity among residents.
One resident, Bobby Onin, approached Sta. Cruz to tell him a secret he has been keeping for some eight years now.
He said he has quietly kept watch over the nesting activities of giant turtles in their barangay. The site was on the shore of the area Councilor Avila hastily pointed out to be the site of the artificial reef project.
Specific site
The identification of the site was necessary, as City Accountant Rizalina Justol insisted that Avila should have a specific site in order for the funds to be released.
Avila would have preferred to wait for the arrival of the scientist recommended by Sta. Cruz to identify the site.
But since the plane ticket for the scientist will be taken from the P350,000 fund whose approval was left pending because government bureaucracy dictates that there should be a specific site for such a project, Avila was forced to just point to a general area.
The greater coincidence was that the scientist Sta. Cruz has contacted to assess the state of the marine life in the hastily chosen artificial reef site was an "old friend" who is a "pawikan" expert.
Torres, biologist of the DENR national office, flew in last Saturday to check out the artificial reef site and the giant turtles' nests, confirming that indeed they are most likely hawkbill turtles and need immediate protection.
Peculiar habit
Torres said moves to protect the area should be immediately initiated. He noted that the nesting ground is in a highly urbanized city whose fast growth may place the endangered species in greater danger.
Among others, he said, is the peculiar habit of baby pawikans to dig themselves out of the sand as soon as they hatch.
"Para yan silang mga pato (They are like ducks), they go where they first see light at doon yan sila susunod (and remain there). Kaya (That is why), we have to ascertain kung meron bang nakikitang (if they see) lights dito sa (in the) area other than the ones reflected from the sea. Kasi (Because) there is the danger na kung may ilaw silang makita, pwedeng (that if they see any light, even) inland, pwedeng ilaw lang yan ng bahay, doon sila pupunta at maliligaw na sila hindi sila makakarating sa dagat (it can be light from a house, they will go there and they will find it difficult to return to the sea)," Torres said.
As of the moment, Avila has just asked the barangay fisheries and aquatic resource management council to guard the area to ensure that the place will be now restricted from people who might, in their ignorance, just trample on the turtles' nests.
Today, Avila intends to bring the discovery to the City Council to seek his colleagues' support for the immediate protection of the area.
He has also already scheduled talks with Paul G. Dominguez, who has incidentally just been recently elected as member of the board of directors of the World Wildlife Fund-Philippines, and Alfonso Y. Aboitiz of the Davao Light and Power Company, whose family is believed to still own the foreshore lease of or the title to the nesting area. Sun.Star Davao
(July 15, 2003 issue)
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