The Hijo coastline, which sits in the heart of the Davao Gulf, was home to a rich marine ecosystem, with seagrass meadows in the coastal seabed that serves as a sanctuary for many marine animals. However, when the boom in shrimp and fish farming came in the 60s and 70s, many of the Mangrove trees in the Libuganon and Madaum riverbanks were cleared to give way to shrimp and fish ponds. Without the dense Mangrove roots to help filter and slow down the flow, significant amounts of silts were excreted from the river and onto the Davao Gulf.

Hijo Resources Corp grows Tagum's new gen of seagrass meadows Hijo Resources Corp grows Tagum's new gen of seagrass meadows. (2021, January 25). SunStar Davao, p. 6.