Around the University TownCampus NewsSummit eyes protecting ‘UN of the Oceans’

Summit eyes protecting ‘UN of the Oceans’

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“Sharks are the peacemakers of the oceans. When we talk about balance, sharks maintain the balance of power, and the balance of terror in the oceans,” said Naderev “Yeb” Saño, executive director of Greenpeace Philippines in a press conference held Nov. 11 at the SU Guy Hall.

The former Climate Change commissioner likened the sharks to the UN, during the 2nd Shark Summit held here from Nov. 7-11.

“Sharks have an important regulatory function in the ocean. For example, the presence of sharks intimidate sea turtles so that they don’t focus on eating and grazing in one particular area [and instead] move to another,” he added, “It is a very important element in maintaining balance of the ecosystem. That’s why sharks are important.”

Saño was the commissioner representing the Philippines to Warsaw, Poland for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change conference in 2013 where he broke down in tears while giving a speech on the unforgettable devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda that ripped through the Philippines.

Besides the shark’s critical role in the balance of the marine ecosystem, Saño said they are intent on protecting sharks not for the sake of protecting the animal, but for the sake of people depending on healthy oceans.

“In the context of the Philippines, with more than 37,000 kilometers of coastline, and more than 50 million Filipinos directly relying on the seas for food every day, it is not difficult to imagine how the balance and the health of the oceans are critical to our social and economic well-being,” he stressed.

Reports over the years show that the Philippines is a hot spot in terms of the decline of shark populations. Among the reasons, according to Saño include short-sighted development in coastal areas, by-catch hunting, short-sighted practices, and the use of non-biodegradable material.

“Pollution is something that the ordinary Filipino has a big role to play…it is time for us to look at sharks for the value that they have in our lives, not for the fear factor that they bring into our lives,” Saño said.

The Shark Summit was the highlight event of the Shark Conservation Week, which brought together over 100 policymakers, advocates, scientists, and government officials to lay the framework for shark conservation and management in the Philippines for years to come.

Two major achievements of this year’s summit include involving youth in the policy dialogue and personal and organizational commitments in themes of enforcement, research, and raising awareness.

Silliman President Dr. Ben S. Malayang III said the University values hosting the Shark Summit which was organized by the Save Sharks Network Philippines.

“In the order of what is an ecological heritage for the Filipino people, the waters and our marine environment should be the top priority of our concern,” Malayang said.

According to Malayang, sharks provide the principal mechanism for check and balance of population and therefore for ensuring the structural stability of our marine ecosystem.

Dr. Malayang also valued sharks for their genetic assets in this age of “competitive biotechnology.”

“[Sharks are] among the oldest species that have resisted evolutionary changes. We could therefore imagine the potential value of the genetic resources in the sharks. The genetic constitution of the shark would be very unique that humanity should make it in fact a genetic heritage for all human type,” he said.

Silliman University has been at the forefront of marine and aquatic environment conservation activities since the 1970s under the leadership of National Scientist Dr. Angel C. Alcala. Malayang said Silliman is one of the early universities that has committed to efforts like this, along with the University of the Philippines and the University of San Carlos in Cebu.

Malayang announced in the press conference that together will Alcala, he will be going to Newcastle University in London on Nov. 20 to explore the possibility of setting up in Silliman an academic program on Bio-oceanography.

This joint research and program will focus on the importance of critical biological assets such as fish species and marine habitats, and how they are affected by climate change influencing the physical and chemical behavior of the inland waters in an archipelagic tropical setting such as the Philippines.

Malayang said he hopes to partner with institutions like UP and Ateneo de Manila University to put up this academic program. (Val Amiel Vestil/SU Environmental Communication)

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