The Marine Conservation Philippines, an NGO working to protect and preserve coastal resources in the country, has volunteered to conduct an underwater survey and coral transplant in Tambobo Bay in Siaton, Negros Oriental.
Soren Lund Knudsen, MCP executive director, said in an interview on Wednesday that the underwater survey would determine the extent of the area with coral reefs that need to undergo transplantation to give way to a government-funded dredging project at the entrance of the bay.
“We may not be able to do a 100 percent transplantation of the corals but at least we can try to save as many of them as we can,” Knudsen said during the commemoration of International Biodiversity Day.
The survey and transplant will be done in coordination with the Department of Environment & Natural Resources, the provincial Environment and Natural Resources Division, and the Siaton local government.
He highlighted the need to save the coral reefs, which have a high biodiversity, as they are also a natural habitat for various species that play a vital role in the food chain, as well as climate resilience.
The underwater survey, which is expected to commence in the coming days, will aid the contractor of the barge conducting the dredging activities, to put up a demarcation line and buoys to seal off the area pending the transplantation of corals, he added.
Knudsen said the MCP could mobilize at least 40 divers to do the coral transplantation.
The corals need to be relocated due to the ongoing dredging to deepen the entrance of the bay and open up a channel that can accommodate huge vessels to maximize the Tambobo Bay port.
The Philippine Ports Authority is undertaking the clustered project of P150 million for the dredging activities in Tambobo Bay and the Lazi and Siquijor ports in nearby Siquijor province.
Residents, fisherfolk associations, the MCP, and other community members and groups have expressed apprehension over the potential negative impact of the Tambobo Bay dredging project on humans and the environment.
The PPA assured that it is undertaking mitigating measures to ensure a balance between development and conservation, as well as the protection of humankind. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
