It's Coral Triangle Day at the Batangas resort Hamilo Coast

When a fisherman goes to catch fish via cyanide, he would typically crush a couple of sodium cyanide tablets into a squirt bottle with water. He would then dive into the sea, swim around a coral reef, and spray the toxic chemical onto the fish. The fish will not die, but will be too shocked to swim away, making it an easy catch. Because cyanide fishing is more convenient for fishermen, they can easily catch dozens of fish in one day.

On the contrary, if a fisherman tries to catch fish via the old fashioned hook and line, it might take him one whole day to catch even just two decent-sized fish. Where economics is concerned, any fisherman who is working to feed his family would choose the former method to get a bigger catch and to earn more money.

Unfortunately, cyanide kills corals and algae—which is why cyanide fishing and other destructive forms of catching fish are especially harmful in the Coral Triangle, the world's epicenter of marine life abundance and diversity

What is the Coral Triangle?

The Coral Triangle covers an area of around 5.7 million square kilometers of ocean that includes the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. (See the regional map here.)

According to the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), a multilateral partnership among these six countries, the Coral Triangle is home to 76 percent of the world’s known coral species and 37 percent of the world’s coral reef fish species, plus commercially valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, and six of the world’s seven known species of marine turtles.

However, said the CTI-CFF, more than 85 percent of the reefs in the Coral Triangle are now being directly threatened by local human activities, including unsustainable fishing practices like cyanide fishing, poorly planned development, pollution, a growing population, as well as the effects of climate change.

Apart from this, the ocean is being overfished, which leads to the issue of sustainability. When the supply of seafood is compromised, the world’s food security and livelihood also become endangered. Stocks of Pacific bluefin tuna, for example, have decreased significantly. About 73 million sharks are also slaughtered each year for the lucrative shark fin trade.

According to World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines (WWF-Philippines) president Lory Tan, “We have cut our fish stocks by 90 percent in the last 50 years. What will we do in 30 years, when the fish are gone and our population will be more than 100 million?”

Coral Triangle Day at Hamilo Coast

The WWF-Philippines is doing its part to save one of the most diverse marine habitats on earth by working to develop sustainable solutions that will benefit local communities and businesses.

One of its initiatives is Coral Triangle Day. Held every 9th of June, it is an annual open-sourced event celebrated in the countries belonging to the region. It aims to promote better alternatives and viable solutions to protect the region’s marine wealth.



This year, the festivities were held in Nasugbu, Batangas and spearheaded by the WWF, Costa del Hamilo, Inc. (Hamilo Coast), and international celebrity chef Bobby Chinn.

Read: Why Bobby Chinn is more than just a celebrity chef

Hamilo Coast, which hosted the media event at which Chinn spoke, is the SM Group’s seaside leisure development in Nasugbu, where it has built several beach condominiums. The property also encompasses several marine-protected areas like Pico de Loro Cove and Santelmo Cove, where giant clams are being cultivated.

To minimize the impact of tourism and property development on the area's natural resources, WWF-Philippines has worked with the resort's managers since 2007, initiating renewable energy projects. Around 18 of the street lamps along the main road of the residential community are powered by solar panels, while solar power-assisted air conditioners have also been installed in the chapel.

There is a desalination plant to treat seawater and make it potable. The waste management activities of employees and residents are also closely monitored, with guidelines set to ensure compliance with the waste-management standards of global eco-tourism certification bodies.

Bantay Dagat units have also been deployed in the area to guard against illegal fishing.

The partnership between the property developer and a group like WWF-Philippines highlights the importance of all sectors—private businesses, non-government agencies, local and national governments, and the inhabitants of the land—working together to save our seas. Determination and cooperation are necessary to effectively carry out the task of marine conservation and preservation. — BM, GMA News