Our mission…

We believe that the Earth’s natural heritage must be maintained if future generations are to thrive spiritually, culturally & economically.

Our mission is to conserve the Earth’s living heritage, our global biodiversity, and to

demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.

Our 3 core strategies…

•provide science•link human welfare and biodiversity conservation•engage in partnerships

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

Adopt the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine

Ecoregion Conservation Plan

ratified by Indonesia, Malaysia, & Philippines

Employ broad stakeholders’ participatory approach

Ensure scientific rigor in defining, refining, &

monitoring conservation targets

Building partnerships & alliances

Linking human welfare withbiodiversity conservation

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

Adopt the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine

Ecoregion Conservation Plan

ratified by Indonesia, Malaysia, & Philippines

Employ broad stakeholders’ participatory approach

Ensure scientific rigor in defining, refining, &

monitoring conservation targets

Building partnerships & alliances

Linking human welfare withbiodiversity conservation

PHILIPPINES

MALAYSIA(Borneo)

INDONESIA

EastKalimantan

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Mindoro Strait

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Moro Gulf

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Sulu-Sulawesi SeascapeSulu-Sulawesi Seascape

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kilometersVerde Is. Passage

S u l a w e s i S e aPrepared by:

Marine Biodiversity Conservation Corridors

MALAYSIA(Borneo)

INDONESIA

EastKalimantan

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kilometers

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Mindoro Strait

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Verde PassageCorridor

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Trinational Sea Turtle Corridor

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• Critical pathways which facilitate exchange & migration of species & nutrients across seas

• Areas that are high priority for marine biodiversity conservation

• Areas with high threat levels

MALAYSIA(Borneo)

INDONESIA

EastKalimantan

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kilometers

M i n d a n a o S e a

Moro Gulf

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Verde PassageCorridor

CagayanRidge Corridor

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Marine Priority CorridorsMarine Priority Corridors

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Trinational Sea Turtle Corridor

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The Four MBCCs

• Verde Passage Corridor

• Balabac Corridor

• Cagayan Ridge Corridor

• Trinational Sea Turtle Corridor

• Verde Passage Corridor

• Balabac Corridor

• Cagayan Ridge Corridor

• Trinational Sea Turtle Corridor

MALAYSIA(Borneo)

INDONESIA

EastKalimantan

Scale 1:7,000,000100 0 100 200

kilometers

M i n d a n a o S e a

Moro Gulf

S u l u S e a

Verde PassageCorridor

CagayanRidge Corridor

BalabacCorridor

Marine Priority CorridorsMarine Priority Corridors

M i n d a n a o S e a

S u l a w e s i S e a

Trinational Sea Turtle Corridor

Prepared by:

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Planned Activities in the MBCCs

• Creation of new MPAs

• Strengthening of existing MPAs

• Rectification of existing MPAs

• MPA Networks

• Policy work on Ecotourism, Fisheries, Oil & Gas

• Communications, Education, & Capacity Building

• Trinational Sea Turtle Corridor

• Creation of new MPAs

• Strengthening of existing MPAs

• Rectification of existing MPAs

• MPA Networks

• Policy work on Ecotourism, Fisheries, Oil & Gas

• Communications, Education, & Capacity Building

• Trinational Sea Turtle Corridor

Ecotourism Situationers

• Ecotourism has been used as a regeneration and conservation tool in Verde Passage, particularly Anilao

• Ecotourism has been used as a management, economic and conservation tool in Tubbataha

• Zero tourism, but with good ecotourism potential in Balabac

Ecotourism as a Conservation Tool

• As a reactive tool in the past

• Recognized as a possible proactive tool for conservation and economic growth

• With proven track record– Species protection (whales, dolphins)– Ecosystem Conservation (coral reefs)– IEC– Management tool

Ecotourism as a Conservation Tool

• However, a lot still needs to be appreciated and done– The real value of ecotourism

• Ecological, economic, social, resource sustainability

– Sites and species that can be influenced by ecotourism development

– Social and environmental impacts of tourism– Economic, institutional and social requirements

of ecotourism

Significance of Ecotourism

• Identify existing ecotourism-related laws, ordinances, etc. that would have direct and indirect impacts on species and habitat management

• Recommend measures that would further enhance the role of ecotourism as a tool for environmental management

• Identify the ecotourism potential in the corridors• Identify stakeholder benefits and roles• Identify possible tourism impacts and develop

recommendations for impact avoidance and mitigation• National and local stakeholders to realize how they can

optimize tourism as a tool for resource utilization and management

How Tourism can Impact Biodiversity

• Lack of Planning• Lack of Visitor Management and Control• Uncontrolled access points and trail

development• No appropriate zoning• Lack of laws and ordinances• Habitat disturbance (facilities, activity zones)• Collection, touching, noise, chasing, other

stressful activities

BALABAC STRAIT ECOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

• Balabac Strait is a frontier ecotourism destination

• Planned tourism is necessary– Unsustainable resource extraction and

harvesting– The need to provide (service-oriented)

livelihood– Unguided tourism may create problems

Ecotourism Goals

• Protection of environmental features and their functions (e.g. corals)

• Protection of species

• Promotion of community-based ecotourism– and promote socio-economic equity

• Market Study– Almost zero tourism

• Tourist facilities– Only one accommodation facility

Ecotourism Framework

• Zoning– Northern Zone

• Pandanan and Bugsuk Islands

– Central Zone• Bancalaan and Matangule Islands

– Balabac Zone• Balabac and Ramos Islands

– Mangsee Zone

Pandanan-Bugsuk Zone

Bancalaan-Matangule Zone

Balabac Island Zone

Mangsee Zone

Ecotourism Framework

• Tourism Awareness– Tourism orientation to prepare the

communities for the positive and negative impacts of tourism

– Policy Development• Tourism Standards and guidelines• Zoning

– Product Development

Ecotourism Framework

• Establishment of Marine (Tourism) Protected Areas

• Development and Protection of Pulao Bato as major ecotourism destination

• Tourism skills development

• Encourage tourism investment

Verde Passage

Ecotourism Map of Verde Passage

Recommendations

• Policy development– National

• Officially adopting tourism use for marine protected areas and providing guidelines thereof

• Setting the standards for Limits of Acceptable Change and Carrying Capacities

– Corridor Level• Optimize the full potential of ecotourism• Institutionalize ecotourism as a management and conservation tool• Declare more protected areas that includes ecotourism as part of a

more sustainable resource utilization activity.• The LGUs to include a tourism operations officer as part of their

plantilla position.• The LGUs and other concerned organizations to invest in

ecotourism product development.• The LGUs and other concerned organizations to link tourism

development with other social infrastructure

Recommendations• Destination Development

– Coordination– Research– Planning– Product Development– Marketing

• CI Partnership– Promote common understanding of the concept of

ecotourism as a resource management tool.– Promote community-based ecotourism programs – Promote skills training aimed towards the development of

ecotourism products and services.– Promote tourism investment