|
Friday, May 27, 2005
Pena: May is Ocean Month
By Rox Pena
We too can contribute in the conservation and protection of our oceans. Simple things like keeping our beaches free of garbage can help. Fishermen should avoid destructive fishing methods like the use of dynamite and cyanide. Divers should refrain from plucking or disturbing coral or sponges. Motorboats should be free from oil leaks.
MAY is known as the month of fiestas and the Santacruzan in the Philippines. But few are aware that in May, we also commemorate the Philippine Month of the Ocean. This annual observance started in 1999 by virtue of a Presidential Proclamation, which was an offshoot of the declaration by the United Nations of the International Year of the Ocean in 1998. The celebration provides an opportunity to raise public awareness of the role the ocean plays in our lives. Note that more than 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered by water.
The theme for this year's celebration is "Ensuring the Sustainable Use and Management of the Philippine Coastal Zone." Among the various activities of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are coastal clean-up and mangrove tree planting. The coordinators of the different national agencies based in Region 3, who are part of the Used or Utilization Strategy and Enterprise Development Paper project, showed their support by planting mangroves in Alangan, Limay, Bataan. I joined the group in this activity, and it was my first time to plant mangroves.
Did you know that according to the records of DENR Region 3, Bataan has only about 26 hectares of mangroves left? Pampanga, although not a coastal province like Bataan, still has 215 hectares, which are concentrated in the towns of Macabebe, Masantol and Sasmuan. Zambales has the largest mangrove cover with 312 hectares old growth and 150 hectares planted under the CBMFM (Community Based Mangrove Forest Management) program. Bulacan is at the bottom of the list with only 10 hectares.
The Philippines has one of the world's longest coastlines, stretching up to 36,289 kilometers. About 70 percent of the country's municipalities are located in coastal areas. Coastal fishing activities contribute about 60 percent of the country's fish catch, and the fisheries sector employs over a million Filipinos. It is therefore of utmost importance to conserve, protect and manage our coastal resources.
Talk about protecting our oceans, four Filipino seamen earned praises and made it to the local and international news recently for their heroic deeds. The four reported to the US Coast Guard that their ship, the 16,300 ton M/V Katrina, is illegally dumping oil waste into the Pacific which is a violation of US and international environmental laws.
In a letter they sent to the Coast Guard, they described how their ship devised a pipeline that discharged oil and sludge into the ocean. Large ocean ships normally have a system for separating oil and water. Water is the only substance allowed to be discharged. Acting on the information they got from the four seamen, the Coast Guard searched the ship and found the pipe. The ship's owner was fined $1 million.
The brave sailors risked their lives and their careers in reporting this incident. Because of their action, it will be very difficult for them to be re-hired as seafarers. But they need not worry about the loss of their jobs because the US Justice Department turned them into instant millionaires by awarding them a total of US$250,000. When they reported the act, however, they were not aware of this huge reward. They acted out of honesty and genuine concern for the environment.
We too can contribute in the conservation and protection of our oceans. Simple things like keeping our beaches free of garbage can help. Fishermen should avoid destructive fishing methods like the use of dynamite and cyanide. Divers should refrain from plucking or disturbing coral or sponges. Motorboats should be free from oil leaks.
Our actions may not be as big as what those four sailors did, but they can make a difference for the future generation. We may not be rewarded with thousands of dollars now, but our children and grandchildren will surely reap the benefits in the years to come.
(May 27, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
