Fishing Ban Protects Largest Coral Reef In The Philippines

Reef fish and other marine species can breathe easier with the introduction of a fishing ban around Apo Reef, the largest coral reef in the Philippines and the second largest contiguous reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. Under the ban, all extractive activities, such as fishing, and coral collection and harvesting, will be completely forbidden. "This 'no-take' zone will allow the reef and its residents ample time to recover from years of fishing," stressed John Manul of WWF-Philippines. The 27,469-hectare Apo Reef off the coast of Mindoro Island is surrounded by mangrove forest, which serves as a source of food, nursery and spawning ground of several coastal fish and marine species, including sharks, manta rays, sperm whales and several sea turtles. In 1996, the reef was declared a national park, but enforcement proved lax and illegal fishing methods persisted...