An index launched in February this year scores countries according to their degree of exposure to and quality of response towards illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Out of the 152 coastal states assessed worldwide, the Philippines is among the countries with the highest illegal fishing index. Within the global center for marine biodiversity and the…
Author: Felimon Feliciano, Jr.
Environmentalist | Ecologist | Researcher | Mariner
Philippine Tuna
Twenty-one species of tuna have been recorded in the Philippine waters but only six are caught in commercial quantity and form the basis of the tuna fishing industry. These are the Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares), Bigeye (Thunnus obesus), Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), Easter Little Tuna or ‘Kawakawa’ (Euthynnus affinis), Frigate Tuna (Auxis thazard), and Bullet Tuna (Auxis…
The Chain of Issues on China’s Exploitation of Giant Clams in the West Philippine Sea
Following China’s claim to parts of the West Philippine Sea, Chinese fishermen have been long reported of exploiting the natural resources of the Philippine waters. There are even reports that Chinese fishermen and coast guards are harassing Filipino fishermen by taking their catches and disallowing them to enter the fishing grounds. There is a long…
BEWARE: Manila Bay is still NOT CLEAN
Photos are going around online showing many people visiting the Manila Bay area after the major clean-up activity performed last January 2019. This is quite alarming because people should be aware that the bay is still not ‘clean’ and poses certain health risks. It may appear to be tidier than before but it’s still critically…
A-B-Seas 2019 Schedules And More!
Are you interested in marine conservation but wondering how and where to start? Do you want to start learning how you can help in protecting our oceans? Well, Save Philippine Seas has something that’s just right for you – the A-B-Seas. The following are information to this year’s A-B-Seas events. First, What is the A-B-Seas?…
Philippines’ Export of Marine Ornamental Fishes – A Boon to the Economy but a Threat to Biodiversity
The Philippines began exporting marine ornamental fishes around the decade of the 1950s and ever since has been one of the major countries supplying marine wild-caught fish around the globe along with countries such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Though having to export marine fishes for a very long time, the Philippines only started generating…
United Nations’ Milestones for Combating Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought
1992 Agenda 21 (Chapters 10 and 12) Integrated planning and management of land resources is the subject of chapter 10 of Agenda 21, which deals with the cross-sectoral aspects of decision-making for the sustainable use and development of natural resources, including the soils, minerals, and water that land comprises. Included in the sections devoted to…
Australia’s Most Notable Solutions against Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought
There is no singular solution for addressing land degradation and achieving ecological sustainability. The problems are numerous, varied and often site-specific and interrelated. Hence, Australia’s response has been to develop an integrated package of mutually reinforcing projects that recognize this complexity and to encourage conservation and remediation. The following are some of Australia’s projects that…
Life on Land: The Antecedents of Land Degradation
One of mankind’s most precious asset and usually overlooked is the ‘land’. But come to think of it, the land is the life source that provides us and our environment with important ecosystem services. It gives us food and shelter and it also holds the treasure of other important resources like oils, minerals, freshwater, and…
Barely Alive
A poem by Hans Kristofer Luke Mariano “Do you know how many times you have killed me? Do you know how many times you’ve slit my throat yet I still kept on saying all of my unacknowledged feelings inside me even if each word means I’d be inflicted with great excruciating pain? Do you know…
