Irrawaddy dolphins as flagship species for wetland conservation: The Bago-Pulupandan MPA experience

The Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area is the Philippines’ seventh and newest Ramsar Site. It hosts three globally threatened species of marine turtles, namely the endangered green sea turtle, the... [ view full abstract ]

The Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area is the Philippines’ seventh and newest Ramsar Site. It hosts three globally threatened species of marine turtles, namely the endangered green sea turtle, the endangered hawksbill turtle, and the vulnerable olive ridley turtle; more than 72 species of migratory birds, and the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris). Here, the Irrawaddy dolphins are found in an estuarine habitat outside the Bago River where they overlap with important fishing grounds of 6 coastal villages from the Municipality of Pulupandan and Bago City. As coastal species, the Irrawaddy dolphins are threatened by net entanglement, boat collisions, pollution, habitat degradation, and the Philippine government’s plan to build a bridge that dissects their core habitat. This prompted an alliance of local government units, fisherfolk, large corporations, and the academe to initiate the establishment of local resource management not just to conserve the dolphins, but the entirety of the ecosystem as well. In partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmBH and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the University of St. La Salle, through the Protected Areas Management Enhancement Program, launched multidisciplinary researches that formed the baseline data for the establishment of the marine protected area. Research components included socio-economic profiling, stakeholder analyses, community perceptions and awareness, fisheries monitoring, and dolphin monitoring. The project trained more than 500 participants, including village leaders, fisherfolk, school teachers, and businessmen, on how to sustain the first locally managed marine protected area for dolphins in the region.