GO-BEMO Conducts a 2-day Training for Pawikan Conservation and First Response

In Partnership with the Large Marine Vertebrates (LAMAVE) Research Institute Philippines, the Office of the Governor-Bohol Environment Management Office (GO-BEMO) conducted a 2-day Training on Pawikan Conservation and First Response which started yesterday (February 26, 2020) at the Level 007, JA Clarin Tagbilaran City.

The activity was attended by the Coastal Resource Management Officers (CRMOs), Fishery Technicians (FTs), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officers (MENROs) of the 30 coastal LGUs; representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Bohol, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) Tagbilaran and Talibon, Bohol Nature Conservation Society (BONACOSO) and Telephone and Radio System Integrated Emergency Response (TaRSIER)117.

The activity aimed to capacitate responders to rescue and rehabilitate stranding Green Sea Turtle and make efforts to prevent the decrease of sea turtles in the ocean.

Bohol is diversed in marine wildlife especially sea turtles. Numerous sightings of turtles can be found in the province and that is one of the reasons why tourists come to Bohol to experience and watch these marine wildlife from their natural habitat. As the tourist arrivals continues to increase, the provincial government wanted to conserve this marine wildlife. Thus, the Provincial Government of Bohol through GO-BEMO in partnership with LAMAVE conducts this training.

Humans have caused sea turtle populations to decline significantly all over the world. Initially, direct fishing for sea turtles was the main reason for population declines. Today, other threats, including injury or death in commercial fisheries, habitat degradation and climate change top the list. The resulting population declines have reduced the species’ ability to fulfill their roles in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.

Sea turtles clearly play important roles in marine ecosystems. Each sea turtle species uniquely affects the diversity, habitat and functionality of its environment. Whether by maintaining its habitat (seagrass, corals and beach dunes), maintaining a balanced food web, nutrient cycling and providing habitat to other organisms, sea turtles play vital roles in maintaining the health of the oceans.

As sea turtle populations decline, so does their ability to perform vital roles in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans. Death and injury in commercial fisheries, loss of important habitat, pollution and climate change are among the many human-caused threats pushing sea turtles towards extinction. More proactive conservation measures are needed to protect sea turtles and rebuild their populations to healthy levels so they can fulfill the full extent of their historic roles in ocean ecosystems. At historic levels, sea turtles will help restore the health of our oceans and make them more resilient to future threats.

In order to reduce the increasing number of threats for Pawikans to naturally reproduce and develop, there is a need to capacitate the local conservation managers and first response unit in marine wildlife conservation of all coastal local government units (LGUs) and partner agencies. The concerned coastal LGUs and agencies should develop their skills on rescue, response and conservation of sea turtles.

Humans and turtles have a common fate due to dependence on the same ecosystems. Current initiatives may not be enough, but through capacitating people to conserve Pawikans can indeed help scale up efforts, optimize potential benefits and ultimately make Bohol a safer haven for marine turtles.