Mr. Carlo Custodio, former director of the CMMO of PAWB (DENR), in an email message asked me to comment on a supposed technology called “Reef Buds.”
On opening the video attached to his email, I learned that what was referred to as “Reef Buds” are small hemispherical objects (with several holes) constructed from some materials that solidified. The holes are supposed to provide microhabitats for fish.
The person who explained the project said that the reef buds idea came from a person from Austria who was concerned with large-scale coral reef destruction that reduced the standing stock of fishery species in the Philippines, and who wanted to create something that will replace natural coral reef ecosystems, thus, providing fish habitats that will improve coastal fisheries.
This technology is supposed to be tested in the coastal waters of Cavite.
From the above information, it is clear that the “Reef Buds” are in reality artificial reef modules that have been given a nice-sounding name.
As background, let me say that I was (I think) the first one in the Philippines to build an artificial reef in the country in the late 1970s off Dumaguete, so I am knowledgeable about artificial reefs.
The reef was made of discarded car tires. It still exists today but the tires have been covered entirely by corals and the reef has become a coral community. The fish community in this reef was studied in the 1980s.
Today, more than 30 years after its establishment, the reef remains a fishing site for the local fishers.
Artificial reefs constructed from all kinds of junk have been constructed in many parts of the world. Even old ships and old cars have been intentionally sunk and converted into fish habitats. Many reports on fish and other marine species from artificial reefs have been made.
The Plymouth Oceanographic Center in the United Kingdom made use of concrete artificial reefs to determine the movements of lobsters. Conduct of experimental research is one good justification for construction of artificial reefs.
However, some reports of used tires and other junk materials from artificial reefs littering beaches have been made. Other reports state that some polluting chemicals are released from tire and metal artificial reefs.
All these, even though little experimental data exist, have had negative influence on policymakers such as the Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, which issued some prohibitions against the construction of artificial reefs sometime ago.
In the previous decade, artificial reefs have not been favored by both the BFAR and the scientific community, and this attitude seems to prevail at the present time.
How are we to evaluate the use of artificial reefs as a tool for fishery management? It is obvious that construction of artificial reefs on coral reef areas should not be allowed, as any structure built thereon harms existing zooxanthellate corals, which need sunlight to survive.
Coral reef areas, because of their potential for biodiversity production, should be allowed to recover naturally over time through human protection and management.
But can artificial reefs be allowed in soft-bottom areas with no history of coral development, that is, the areas never had corals in historical times?
If the objective is to conduct meaningful research, it could be allowed. But if the objective is to enhance fisheries, setting up artificial reefs may not accomplish the purpose.
The quality of the environment, especially that of the substratum, should be carefully considered before deciding to spend lots of good money on a project that is bound to fail from the start.