The effective management of marine protected areas (MPA) in coastal communities across the Philippines would help achieve sustainable fishing that could ensure the livelihood of small fisherfolk, as well as food security, an expert said. Establishing MPAs plays a critical role in protecting marine biodiversity, ecosystem function and sustaining healthy coastal communities, according to Rene Abesamis, a marine expert from Siliman University who works on research focused on helping reverse the decline in fisheries and biodiversity. “Marine protected areas are really important because they are excellent to manage fisheries and also preserve or restore biodiversity. This is really important for people who are highly dependent on marine resources both for food, livelihood, through tourism, and also for other ecosystem services,” Abesamis said.

Gomez, E. J. (2019, September 30). Marine protected areas key to sustainable fishing in PH. The Manila Times, p. A8.