Additional 1M-Hectare Marine Protected Area in Palawan Implemented

October 2017

Another marine conservation milestone has been achieved as six municipalities of Palawan, which is considered as the Philippines’ biological frontier because of its wide array of coastal biodiversity, have agreed to implement the 1,008,350 hectare Northeastern Palawan Marine Protected Area Network Management Plan.

The municipalities of Araceli, Dumaran, El Nido, Linapacan, Roxas, and Taytay have rallied together to further conserve Palawan’s coastal and marine areas that are vital sources of livelihood, minerals, and raw materials, as well as recreational, cultural, and other social activities.

Through a Memorandum of Agreement signing event, the six municipalities that were represented by their respective Mayors have formalized the mandates and goals of the Management plan anchored on the vision of “an empowered northeastern Palawan MPA network with an abundant, climate-resilient and unified marine management system demonstrating sustainable fishery and conservation practices by 2030.”

This step forward came just a little over a year after the declaration of the 1M-hectare MPA covering the municipal waters and surrounding open sea of another Palawan municipality, Cagayancillo, to manage the area for marine biodiversity conservation, food security, sustainable livelihood, and ecotourism development.

The Provincial Government of Palawan, through the Provincial Agriculture Office, and the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development will act as the oversight agencies while the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will provide technical assistance. WWF-Philippines, in the same way that it has continuously supported the establishment and management of earlier MPAs, will continue to extend a helping hand.