(The Philippine Star) | Updated November 18, 2016 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines -
Amid allegations of environment degradation, coal miner and power producer
Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) has committed to protect marine
protected areas (MPA) surrounding its coal mines in Semirara Island in Antique.
SMPC disclosed
yesterday it has pledged to support the Caluya local government’s campaign to
declare two near-shore sites in Semirara Island as MPA or marine reserves.
MPAs are coastal or
marine areas placed under conservation or protection regimes by communities,
local ordinances or national laws to restrict human activity.
Two near-shore sites
were identified as MPAs by Silliman University Angelo King Center for Research
and Environmental Management (SUAKCREM), a leading marine and terrestrial
research organization which conducted a biological survey of the island last
year.
“Contrary to
expectation for mining areas, the reefs surveyed has extensive coverage of live
hard coral cover and relatively high fish biomass and density,” the study
noted.
However, the research
team also noted certain sites may have been affected by siltation and fishing
activities but these sites have the potential to recover if “strictly protected
from heavy fishing.”
“Prior to this research, marine diversity
around the island was undocumented. We wanted an independent study to help
resolve concerns and allegations of environmental degradation in Semirara
Island,” said SMPC president and COO Victor Consunji.
Semirara has been part
of the hit list of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Secretary Gina Lopez for allegedly causing environmental-related issues based
on complaints of the local communities in Antique.
With SUAKCREM’s
recommendation, SMPC said it would meet with its host community and the LGU to
determine how best to support their marine conservation campaign.
The coal firm is also
pledging to restock giant clams on the two sites once these are legally
declared as MPAs.
The company breeds and
reseeds giant clams through its Marine Hatchery Laboratory in Semirara Island.
Of the 160,000 giant
clams it has bred, around 40,000 have been reseeded in Tabunan Marine Sanctuary
which is two to four kilometers away from the company’s Molave and Narra mine
sites. Another 75 were also reintroduced in the near-shore sites of Barangay
Semirara.
Giant clams promote
biodiversity enhancement where they live as they attract corals, fishes and
smaller marine biota. These giant clams also clean their environment when they
sip in seawater for food and then release clean, clear water back to the sea.
However, overfishing of
giant clams have placed this marine species in the IUCN Red List of Endangered
Species.
No comments:
Post a Comment