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Artificial reefs increase Masbate fishers' fish catch, income

By Connie Calipay

April 14, 2023, 8:31 pm

<p><strong>MARINE GUARD.</strong> Photo shows Eddie Capinig, 60, one of the wardens keeping watch on the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Colorada Point in Barangay Tigbao, Aroroy, Masbate. Capinig, who is also a fisherman, has noted of the increasing catch due to the deployment of reef balls in their area.<em> (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)</em></p>

MARINE GUARD. Photo shows Eddie Capinig, 60, one of the wardens keeping watch on the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Colorada Point in Barangay Tigbao, Aroroy, Masbate. Capinig, who is also a fisherman, has noted of the increasing catch due to the deployment of reef balls in their area. (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)

AROROY, Masbate – Fisherfolk have been earning more, with a visible increase in fish being caught in this town.

Aside from this, various species of fish, turtles, lobsters and other sea creatures have been observed thriving in the Marine Protected Area (MPA) of Colorada Point in Barangay Tigbao here.

In an interview on Friday, Eddie Capinig, 60, one of the wardens keeping watch over the MPA, said the visible increase in marine life population is attributed to the deployment of 3,993 reef balls and the planting of 52,000 coral fragments by the Philippine Gold Processing & Refining Corporation (PGPRC) starting in 2017.

"My duty is from 9 a.m. up to 5:00 p.m. We are six wardens and we make sure that no fishermen will catch fish within the MPA. Nakatulong po ng sobra yung pagkakaroon ng MPA dito sa aming area. Dumami na po ung isda na nahuhuli kasi yung mga isda na lumalaki sa MPA, lumalabas sila kaya pwede na hulihin. Sobrang laking tulong po ng ginawa ng PGPRC. (Having an MPA is a big help here in our area. The number of fish that are being caught has increased because the fish that grow in the MPA dispersed. The PGPRC has given great help)," Capinig, who is himself a fisherman, said.

 MARINE LIFE PROTECTION. Divers of Phil. Gold Processing and Refining Corp. install reef balls, which are artificial concrete reefs with holes that create whirlpools around them off Aroroy town in Masbate in this undated photo. The reef balls aim to restore destroyed coral reefs, increase fish population and create new fishing and scuba diving sites. (Photo courtesy of PGPRC)

He said from 10 kilos per day, he can now catch up to 50 kilos of fish per day.

"Dati po nung wala pang MPA, ang isda pakunti na, pero nang dumating ang project na ito, ang reef balls na nilagay, ang pagkaka-declare na MPA ang area, naging tahimik ang lugar namin, naisaayos ang mga pangingisda, at dumami yung nahuhuli. (Before when there was no MPA, the fish caught were few. But when this project was implemented, the reef balls that were placed, the area being declared an MPA, it became more peaceful, the fishing activities were properly managed and the number of fish caught increased)," he added.

Capinig said he and his fellow fishers now earn more and thus more capable of supporting the daily needs of their families.

Lovella Cariaga, PGPRC environmental manager, said Filminera Resources Corp. (FRC) and PGPRC, which is its sister company, said the two firms partnered with the municipal government of Aroroy in undertaking the project to rehabilitate coral reefs that were destroyed due to dynamite fishing and other illegal fishing activities.

"A reef ball is an artificial reef designed to mimic the function of a natural reef. It was developed by the United States-based Reef Ball Foundation to restore ailing or destroyed coral reefs and create new fishing and scuba diving sites," Cariaga said.

She said reef balls are made of special, marine-friendly concrete and are used worldwide to create habitats for fish and other marine and freshwater species. These are made in different sizes to best match the natural reef type, she added.

"This coming May, we will install additional reef balls in the MPA in Colorada Point since we continue to monitor the growth of corrals in the reef balls. Reef restoration is critical for the marine ecosystem's long-term sustainability and local fishermen's future," Cariaga noted.

The Colorada Point was declared a marine protected area with PGPRC as its main proponent. The firm has been continuously expanding the mangrove planting program to provide an additional livelihood to residents of the coastal community.

PGPRC also hired the fishermen in the community to become wardens of the MPA and assistants for coral planting and propagation works.

The firm has likewise implemented a goat dispersal project as part of the livelihood program support to the fisherfolk organization in the area.

Vancouver-based gold producer B2Gold wholly owns PGPRC. (PNA)

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