ASIAN MARINE SPECIES

[Guest guest]

 

Scientists urge culture of endangered species

 

First posted 10:14pm (Mla time) July 17, 2005

By Nestor Burgos

Inquirer News Service

 

 

 

Editor's Note: Published on Page A21 of the July 18, 2005 issue of the

Philippine Daily Inquirer

 

 

ILOILO CITY-Scientists from Southeast Asia and Japan are calling for intensified

efforts to increase the stocks of threatened marine species to counter threats

to food security in the region.

 

They made the appeal on Friday at the end of the three-day regional technical

consultation on stock enhancement conducted by the aquaculture department of the

Iloilo-based Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (Seafdec).

 

Among those identified as threatened species are sea horses, giant clams, top

shells, corals, sea cucumbers, whales and dolphins, marine turtles, sharks and

rays. The capture, collection, trade and utilization of these species are banned

under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora

and Fauna (CITES) and other international agreements.

 

Sea cucumbers, sea horses and giant clams are among the species that are

endangered across the region, said Wilfredo Yap, Seafdec external affairs

officer and head of the agency's research division.

 

" These species [are] still being harvested but there is concern that these may

get decimated in the near future, " Yap told the Inquirer.

 

The experts agreed on an eight-point resolution to improve the stock enhancement

activities and programs in their countries for species under international

concern.

 

Stock enhancement is the practice of culturing young fish and releasing them

into the waters to strengthen or increase fish stocks. This has been resorted to

by several countries, especially Japan, as part of comprehensive efforts to

address the problem of increasingly depleted marine resources.

 

The consultation was attended by 55 participants from Indonesia, Japan, Laos,

Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

 

The country representatives presented papers that identified endangered species

in their areas and efforts to boost stocks of these species.

 

Hundreds of marine species were identified as " threatened " or " endangered " by

the participants based on the lists of the International Union for the

Conservation of Nature, CITES and their respective governments.

 

The depletion of these species is blamed mainly on over-fishing, hunting and

collecting for food and trade.

 

Hanh Choundara of Laos also said illegal fishing and water pollution by oil and

mining industries worsen the problem.

 

In Vietnam, the depletion is blamed on the growing population, which has led to

a high demand for seafood, according to the paper presented by Thai Ngoc Chien.

He said aquatic animal resources have been " overexploited " and are declining in

some areas.

 

In their resolution, the participants agreed that stock enhancement should be

undertaken as part of an integrated management strategy for the sustainable use

and conversion of aquatic resources.

 

They pointed out that stock enhancement should be considered only if other

interventions, such as reducing fishing pressure and enhancement and restoration

of the habitat, have proven ineffective.

 

Jurgenne Primavera of Seafdec said the protection of the habitat and reducing

fishing pressure should be given priority because these were essential in

ensuring that stock enhancement efforts were effective.

 

The participants also agreed that whenever possible, indigenous species should

be used for stock enhancement and that technological support for the

member-countries covered by Seafdec should be strengthened.

 

Yap said the countries in the region should address technological problems, such

as efficient marking and tagging of released stocks to effectively monitor their

survival rate.

 

Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr., who was guest at the conclusion of the meeting,

said he hoped that the governments of the countries in the region would devote

significant amounts of their budgets to food production, and check the depletion

of the marine resources.

 

Yap acknowledged that efforts to restore marine resources would be a long

process. " It would not take place in our generation but maybe [in the generation

of] our children's children. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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