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Save
Balicasag dive site from further destruction
 DAMALERIO | | Officials
and stakeholders launched a bold step towards salvaging Balicasag Island from
further destruction.
The
island is known for its rich marine biodiversity and beautiful dive sites.
In
an interview yesterday, environment committee chair Alfonso Damalerio II of the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan said that Panglao town officials are strengthening measures,
such as an Ordinance imposing user's fee, apparently to give teeth to the enforcement
of environmental measures for the island. |
The
move came in the wake of destruction by users and tourists. These damages caused
by night fishing using fine mesh nets, undisciplined divers taking coral species
and the absence of buoys in strategic areas may have put the island on the verge
of extinction. |
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During the committee
meeting yesterday, stakeholders, including the Bohol Marine Triangle (BMT) and
a group of resort owners identified and tried to seize some opportunities to protect
and conserve what is left of the island. These include the already established
BMT in law enforcement and dive shops and resorts abound wanted to cooperate.
The
stakeholders strongly suggested to the provincial government to initiate a convergence
for the authorities of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) and Philippine Navy
(PN) and stakeholders concerned to thresh out serious matters affecting the island.
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Member Jose E. Veloso and Panglao town officials represented by Kagawads Denison
Bongaron and Noel Hormachuelos, who attended the meeting, also endorsed the move.
It
was learned that PN has the say on the island considering it is a navy reserve
island and it has maintained a lighthouse while PTA also runs a tourist resort
there.
President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week who preside over the ground breaking of the
Panglai Bohol International Airport took a dive to see for herself the marine
life underneath the island.
The
meeting also took notes of the strengths of the island, including the facts that
it is internationally recognized as one of the best dive sites of the world and
it's well publicized aside from having a lot of qualified dive shops and readily
accessible from almost all resorts.
But
the stakeholders recognized potential threats, such as illegal activities, dive
shops dissatisfaction, political feud, internet forum (informing tourists not
to visit the island), continued over-fishing and could not be "special"
or attractive within five years, to the island which must be prevented at all
cost just to protect the island. (RVO) | 
