Summit on Central Visayas’ protected Tañon Strait to be held in February

The Tañon Strait Protected Seascape (TSPS) management board and stakeholders will be meeting for the first time, in a summit and general assembly to be held in Cebu City from February 10-12.

According to a press release from ocean conservation non-profit Oceana Philippines, hundreds of environment advocates and more than 350 members of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of Tañon Strait will gather next month to discuss conservation efforts in the area.

Situated between Cebu and Negros Oriental, Tañon Strait was declared a protected seascape in 1998 by then-President Fidel Ramos. It is the biggest protected area in the country, covering 521,018 hectares and bordering 677 kilometers of coastline along three provinces.

Tañon Strait is home to at least 14 species of whales and dolphins, 70 fish species and 20 crustacean species. It has a diverse range of marine habitats, including at least 18,830 hectares of coral reefs.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which chairs the PAMB, signed a memorandum of agreement with Oceana Philippines and another conservation group, Rare, to be partners in organizing the general meeting.

“Convening the PAMB and holding the stakeholders’ summit are bold, big and essential first steps to ensure governance in TSPS that is participatory, transparent, accountable, predictable and effective,” said Oceana Philippines vice president Gloria Estenzo-Ramos.
 — Bea Montenegro/BM, GMA News