BALANGA, Bataan – A memorandum of agreement was recently forged in connection with a coral restoration project for the coastal towns of Bagac, Bataan and Subic, Zambales as beneficiaries.
The agreement was entered into by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as funding agency, the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU), and Sangkalikasan Producer Cooperative as implementing and collaborating agency, respectively.
Anchored on responsible and sustainable fisheries, the project will adopt the application of coral transplantation technology to improve productivity of coral reef resources and eventually harness Bagac, Bataan, and Subic Zambales’ potentials for underwater tourism.
Dr. Melvin B. Carlos, Chief of the PCAARRD Technology Transfer and Promotion Division, explained that the project involves coral transplantation technology using asexually reproduced corals to help restore the country’s coral reefs which contribute about P70 billion to the country’s economy annually.
Bagac, Bataan and Subic Zambales were identified as restoration sites based on their suitability for restoration; availability of sufficient amount of coral fragments for transplanting, and their location within the marine protected area.
Project outputs include the transplanting of 20,000 coral fragments and setting-up of 5 coral nursery units in Bagac and transplanting of 5,000 coral fragments and setting up of 10 coral nursery units in Subic, among other expected benefits.
The coral reef restoration project which is expected to end in 2015 is under PCAARRD’s Industry Strategic S&T Plan (ISP) for Corals.