Philippines announces new nature conservation plan
Philippines announces new nature conservation plan
mongabay.com
November 8, 2006
Philippine president Gloria Arroyo has enacted a new national conservation policy according to Conservation International (CI).
Arroyo signed an Executive Order at a Nov. 8 ceremony that stated “It is the policy of the state to protect, conserve and sustainably use biological diversity to ensure and secure the well-being of present and future generations of Filipinos.”
The order applies specifies initial steps to creating marine protected areas in the Verde Passage, a particularly biodiverse region located in the “Coral Triangle” that includes the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Arroyo called the Verde Passage a “critical marine corridor” that is crucial to marine-based tourism, transportation and international shipping.
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Coral reefs and other marine ecosystems in the Philippines have been under increasing threat from unsustainable fishing practices — ranging from cyanide bombs to trawling — but the new order seeks to protect marine resources and local livelihoods.
“The challenge to all of us is how to keep the balance so that we protect our biodiversity and at the same time gain from it, and in the process attain sustainable development,” she said.
“President Arroyo has taken a visionary step by committing her government to protect the nation’s natural wealth for the benefit of the Filipino people, now and in the future,” said Peter Seligmann, the chairman and CEO of Conservation International. “More and more, progressive leaders are recognizing that a healthy environment is the foundation for stable, productive societies that can develop in a sustainable manner.”
This article uses information from a Conservation International news release.