Operations and Economic Contributions of Selected Fish Sanctuaries in Surigao del Sur, Philippines

Fish sanctuaries had been established by the coastal communities with the end view of sustainable use of coastal resources, restoring ecological balance and food security. A progressive environmental movement as a response to climate change at the village or grassroots level instituted among the coastal communities. This research undertaking presented the operations of selected fish sanctuaries in Cortes Surigao del Sur which was being evaluated in terms of organizational structure, funding, linkages and economic impact. Its economic contributions had been perused in terms of providing livelihood interventions, promotion of local tourism and employment generation. It also covered the challenges encountered in its operation and its proposed recommendations across the four sites which included the following Barangays or villages: Balibadon, Uba, Mabahin, and Burgos. The study used a universal sampling method with one hundred twenty (120) respondents with the researcher-made questionnaire as the main instrument which underwent validation by the panel of experts. Results showed that the organizational structure is very much suited to the four sites and addresses the challenges of the fish sanctuaries. The type of organizational structure of the fish sanctuary being voluntary in nature and quasi-bureaucratic honed further the voluntarism of its members in the operation. The challenges or problems included the following: illegal fishing in the fish sanctuary, lack of foreign tourists, and lack of tourism amenities like hotels, eatery and the like, the honorarium of the volunteers are meager or minimal. The linkages and funding of the four fish sanctuaries also considered Very Much Effective. This is due to the fact that it received assistance in its operation from the Local Government Unit of Cortes, technical and livelihood assistance from BFAR, NGP of DENR, DOLE and technical assistance for capacity building from the fish project, Green Mindanao, Rear Pride and Haribon foundation during the duration of their projects in the sites. The contributions of the fish sanctuaries to environmental conservation was deeply valued by the communities and its members. It provided sustainable use of coastal marine resources both as a utility or natural resource and as a popular mechanism or strategy in environmental preservation.

Keywords: Sanctuary, Coastal, Communities, Linkages, Operation, Contribution