North Mindoro's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) serve as a sanctuary for around 40 species listed as threatened by the IUCN, including hawksbill sea turtles (Critically Endangered), Napoleon fish (Endangered), squaretail coral and humpback groupers (Vulnerable), and the pelagic thresher shark (Vulnerable).
The Verde Island Passage (VIP) is recognized as a global center of marine biodiversity, with over 1,000 documented species – more than anywhere else on the planet. Part of the Verde Island Passage, North Oriental Mindoro has been identified as one of the richest marine biodiversity areas in the Philippines and a marine corridor that aids in the movement of species. Due in part to its incredible biodiversity, variety of habitats and endemic species, Puerto Galera, the most northern tip of our network, has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1977. It encompasses extensive coral reefs with live coral cover of up to 90% in some areas, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds.
North Mindoro is a hotspot for mangroves with just over 1,500 ha in and surrounding our MPAs, and around 26 species of mangroves. These areas protect the coastline from extreme weather events and provide building materials and aquaculture opportunities for coastal communities. They also function as nurseries for fish.
The Verde Island Passage and North Mindoro act as a potential source zone for fish and coral to settle, colonize and replenish surrounding ecosystems.
95% of Philippine’s coral reefs are considered to be under threat, and more than 50% are classified as ‘overfished’. With fish populations further declining, the livelihoods of the several hundred local fisher communities living around North Mindoro, whose incomes already often fall below the poverty threshold, are further threatened. North Mindoro's MPAs are home to many commercially important reef fish species such as groupers, snappers, fusiliers, jacks, tuna, and surgeon fishes, providing income and subsistence for local communities.
The MPAs were established between 2003 and 2023 to ensure ecosystem sustainability, promote economic growth and reduce poverty. The MPAs in North Mindoro have proven successful in gaining community acceptance and awareness. Nonetheless, their impact in terms of sustainably managing local-scale fisheries and achieving conservation objectives must be improved through sustainable financing and effective management. These MPAs have faced challenges in maintaining conservation standards and securing adequate funding for basic activities. Without effective management, the region's coral reefs and marine biodiversity remain under threat. Illegal and unsustainable fishing practices, including use of compressors for night-spearfishing in the reef and unselective net gear endanger the marine ecosystem. Additionally, the bycatch of mammals, sharks, rays, and turtles further imperils the area. Our solution is to work collaboratively with Government and local fisher communities to implement effective MPA management, enhance fishery management in municipal waters and develop a sustainable Blue Economy in North Mindoro, for the benefit of all stakeholders.
© Background image: Christian Manalo
Ha MPA with enhanced biodiversity protection & control of destructive & unsustainable fishing activities (including 27,200 ha of coral reefs)
Regional MPAs under management
Ha of coral reef ecosystem being rehabilitated
Ha of mangroves protected and partially restored
Threatened species being protected
Coastal community members with enhanced livelihoods
Jobs created for MPA management staff and rangers
Hours of patrols conducted
Reef-positive businesses in development
To additional neighbouring MPAs and waters
Our focus is on increasing the health and resilience of marine ecosystems and improving local livelihoods in and around the conservation area. This aligns with the vision of the local Governments of Abra de Ilog, Baco, Calapan, Puerto Galera and San Teodoro, as well as that of the central Government through its Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Provincial Governments and we are working together to reduce destructive and unsustainable fishing activities; develop a Blue Economy based on sustainable ecotourism, blue carbon and responsible aquaculture; and employ targeted conservation measures.
Surrounded by and incorporating active local fishing communities, our activities contribute to the regeneration of marine biodiversity as well as providing sustainable sources of protein and income for local communities. Improving the health of marine ecosystems also enables the creation of viable ecotourism businesses, increased protection from coastal flooding, and decreased beach erosion.
We measure our impacts through five primary socio-ecological Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Impact metrics are time-bound and require clear positive impact linked to specific conservation measures, divided into biodiversity, management, livelihoods and Blue Carbon.
We measure our impacts using five socio-ecological Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
Regeneration of coral reef ecosystems
Regeneration of mangrove ecosystems
Recovery of species from overfishing and illegal destructive fishing
Improved catch by coastal fishers
Job creation in the MPAs and reef-positive enterprises
In 2021, the Local Government Units (LGUs) of Baco, Calapan, Puerto Galera, and San Teodoro signed agreements with Blue Alliance for the delegated management of the North Mindoro MPA network, comprising 9 MPAs and 62,000 ha of municipal waters. In mid-2023, the municipality of Abra de Ilog signed a similar agreement, adding 3 more MPAs and 50,000 ha of additional municipal waters. In 2024, an agreement was signed with Sablayan, adding 10 more MPAs spanning 76,000 ha.
Through these agreements, LGUs aim to improve the health of marine ecosystems for present and future generations of local fisher communities, and to provide alternative livelihood options in the Blue Economy, namely aquaculture, ecotourism, and blue carbon projects.
In the Philippines, LGUs have total autonomy for the management of their municipal waters. Each agreement will run for 10 years (renewable) and define a clear distribution of roles and obligations in day-to-day MPA management. With support from our partner UNDP Philippines, this approach has been officially endorsed by the central government (Ministry of Environment) and the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro.
Our agreements outline our specific responsibilities and underscore our commitment to working closely with Provincial Government and Government Agencies. These include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Coast Guard, and the Maritime Police.
The partnership between the City Government of Calapan and Blue Alliance goes beyond mere protection. Blue Alliance’s invaluable support includes the provision of enforcement floating assets, fuel subsidies for enforcement, the recruitment of additional Bantay Dagat personnel. Additionally, it encompasses biophysical assessments of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the strengthening of the capacity of MPA managers, among other initiatives. It also extends into the heart of our community through livelihood programs designed to foster sustainable practices such as the development of crab and sea cucumber hatcheries. Our collaborative efforts also emphasize raisin public awareness through an extensive environmental information education campaign.
– Hon. Mayor Marilou Morillo, City of Calapan
By collaborating with the local communities and their Barangay (the smallest administrative division in the Philippines) people’s organizations, we are contributing to a sustainable future for North Mindoro and its people.
Blue Alliance Philippines undertakes marine conservation activities, encourages sustainable fishing practices, and actively promotes reef-positive businesses in and around the MPAs.
Our on-the-ground management team proactively monitors and protects natural resources through enhanced compliance and enforcement activities, long-term community engagement programs, science-based approaches, and regenerative projects for environmental protection.
We are actively engaged in the fight against destructive and overfishing activities, such as the use of explosives, compressors and unselective fishing gears. Our primary management intervention tools are enhanced 24/7/365 surveillance programs, conducted jointly with the authorities and local fishing committees; long-term community engagement programs to increase awareness; and offering alternative livelihoods by creating new jobs through our Blue Economy reef-positive businesses.
We enhance control of the fishing effort in North Mindoro to make it sustainable for local coastal communities and future generations. The fishing effort is controlled both in the sanctuary (no-take) zone and in the sustainable fishery zones. This is achieved through our joint patrols conducted with the authorities and the Bantay Dagats, municipal fish wardens from communities. In addition, we combat the decline of specific species through the development of aquaculture hatcheries.
We are dedicated to safeguarding all marine fauna, but hawksbill sea turtles (Critically Endangered), green and olive ridley sea turtles (both Vulnerable) are among our priorities in North Mindoro. By preserving critical habitats such as nesting sites, reducing poaching and spreading awareness, we are helping to ensure their survival.
We help reduce bycatch of threatened species by controlling destructive and illegal fishing practices, recommending, and promoting sustainable fishing gear and methods, and educating local fishing communities on the safe release of bycatch. We are confident that our efforts will help conserve around 30 species listed as threatened by the IUCN.
Coral reef care is critical, as reefs are the axis around which all our work revolves. We work to eliminate destructive fishing practices and drive coral reef protection awareness through marine conservation education for scholars, residents, and visitors.
Mangrove forests serve as natural carbon sinks and contribute to climate change mitigation. Our Blue Economy initiatives are focused on preservation and restoration via businesses and incentives that depend on thriving mangrove forests. We also introduce, drive, and support programs and educational campaigns.
We create direct jobs with fishers becoming staff members of the MPAs and staff of the different reef-positive businesses such as ecotourism, extensive aquaculture and mangrove restoration. We improve livelihoods for coastal fisher households through supporting small and medium enterprises in the Blue Economy and providing training programs, with a specific focus on empowering women and girls.
This is a cross-cutting threat, which leads to unsustainable fishing, pollution, and clearing of mangrove forests. In addition to creating jobs in our MPAs and reef-positive businesses, we’re primarily tackling this issue by empowering communities through training, mentoring, and providing micro grants to help businesses to launch. Training opportunities range from English lessons and computer classes to swimming lessons and dive certifications to aquaculture and farming techniques.
Through our ecotourism division and our partnership with the central Government, we train local dive industry stakeholders to implement the internationally recognized “Green fins” code of conduct for responsible dive and snorkel practices. We also develop experiences for the conscious traveler, and educational programs known as BlueTalks.
By enhancing the health of natural coastal and marine ecosystems, which act as carbon sinks, our work protects coastal communities from the impacts of extreme weather events caused by climate change and contributes to climate change mitigation.
We share the deep concern around land-based pollution. We improve the enforcement of illegal activity through engaging communities and working with our own programs and innovative companies to support mitigation mechanisms and solutions responsibly.
Together, we are united by a shared commitment to conservation, striving to achieve exceptional results at the intersection of marine preservation and local economic development.
– Bonifacio Tobias, MPA Manager
Our MPAs lie within the municipalities of Calapan, San Teodoro, Baco, Puerto Galera, Abra de Ilog, and Sablayan. The programme strives to improve coral reef health by enhancing MPA management capacity and reducing the main human activities that cause degradation of coral reef ecosystems and negatively affect community livelihoods.
© Background image: Grace Catapang
We work in four fundamental and interrelated fields of operation, and we measure and report on the results we achieve. These are conservation and science, community development, compliance, and sustainable revenue generation.
Surveillance and protection by raising awareness, ensuring compliance
© Photo: Kelda Lund
We monitor fish and shark populations, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests to:
This is done through Biophysical Assessments on coral and reef fish, mangroves, and seagrass ecosystems to better assess the success of MPAs in protecting marine biodiversity. We also conduct underwater surveys of commercial fish species in monitoring stations inside and outside MPAs. In these bi-annual surveys, we identify commercial fish species (those targeted by fishers), including their count and sizes using the variable distance method. This allows us to measure the success of MPAs in enhancing fish biomass in adjacent fishing grounds, and to understand how they benefit local fishing communities. In parallel, we conduct fish catch monitoring programmes through fish landing surveys and regular interviews with fishers to monitor the health of the fishery as well as getting indicators of fishing effort and use of new gear. Fish landings are also an important way of assessing the bycatch of threatened species.
To measure the success of our MPAs in enhancing fish productivity in municipal waters, we conduct a comprehensive programme of experimental CPUE (catch per unit effort) measurements. The fish catch and size data of reef fishes can help gauge the effectiveness of MPAs in supporting adjacent fishing areas through adult fish movement and, in turn, the positive results of management interventions.
Community efforts led by Blue Alliance have saved coral reefs from the crown-of-thorns sea star (COTS) outbreak. COTS is a natural predator of hard corals. However, their overpopulation can cause detrimental impacts on the reefs. Read more about this priority project below.
By preserving critical habitats such as nesting sites, reducing poaching, and spreading awareness, we help to ensure their survival. We are also developing at least one hatchery to help protect turtle eggs from beach predation.
We help reduce bycatch of threatened species by controlling destructive and illegal fishing practices, recommending, and promoting sustainable fishing gears and methods, and educating local fishing communities in the release of species by-caught.
Through funder support, we are exploring new methods for monitoring that might help to reduce the need for skilled monitors (which is a challenge in our remote areas of operation) and provide further insights. We partner with local universities and other science-based organisations, such as the University of the Philippines, MinSU and SHARK-MED.
Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) attract fish and record them for marine research. BRUVS help us to see shy species like sharks that may not be detected during SCUBA surveys. We need to know what species are in our MPAs and where to find them, so that we can develop effective management strategies for their protection.
Developed by the University of the Philippines for AI-powered assessment of fish species diversity. We need fish identification and biomass determination if we are to determine whether our management measures are effective. FISH-I technology is a quicker, safer, and more accurate method and is especially needed in areas where we are lacking capacities for fish identification.
Use of environmental eDNA (the genetic material present in water samples) for identifying the presence of marine species in our waters. Species diversity is an important indicator of ecosystem health and just like the BRUVs, this method allows us to know what species live in our waters – even if we never see them.
Key scientific programmes and assessments include:
Each species in our MPAs plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance and health of its habitat. Unfortunately, many of these marine creatures face threats such as illegal and unsustainable fishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. On our dedicated marine wildlife page, you can learn about the critical roles of over 50 selected species found in our MPAs, the pressures they face, and the conservation efforts needed to protect them.
Community efforts led by Blue Alliance have saved coral reefs from the crown-of-thorns sea star (COTS) outbreak. COTS is a natural predator of hard corals. However, their overpopulation can cause detrimental impacts on the reefs. Blue Alliance, in coordination with the local government, developed a science and community-based monitoring and mitigation programme to fight the outbreak in Puerto Galera. This has resulted in more than 28,000 COTS collected through almost 1,000 hours of monitoring and collection efforts. With the additional and important help of the dive industry, COTS populations in Puerto Galera have been significantly reduced since the programme of Blue Alliance started. At our last survey in August 2023, no COTs were sighted in Puerto Galera.
© Background image: ScubaPonnie
We work closely with Local Government Units to identify and develop revenue models in the Blue Economy that can increase the long-term resilience of both marine ecosystems and coastal community livelihoods. The community development programmes are typically linked to our reef-positive businesses.
Key community development programmes include:
Our role as official co-management entity is to enhance compliance with applicable legislation and regulations. We do this through surveillance and long-term community engagement programmes. One of our major management interventions is to enhance compliance aimed at reducing unsustainable fishing and combating destructive fishing. We carry this out through joint patrolling in partnership with local law enforcement and military authorities, community sea wardens and our own rangers.
In the Philippines, municipal fisheries enforcement is largely carried out by community sea wardens, locally known as Bantay Dagat (BDs). In coordination with local municipalities, we support the BDs through performance-based incentives. The best BDs are selected to become full-time Blue Alliance rangers or Blue Alliance Key Ocean Defenders (BAKODs).
The primary focus of the BAKODs and BDs is to prevent illegal activities, especially fishing, but they also spearhead our mission to remove CoTS, as well as assisting with the installation of demarcation markers, and biophysical monitoring of coral and reef fish. The demarcation of MPAs will be done through deployment and maintenance of highly visible marker buoys on MPA boundaries - these will be color-coded over time to identify tourism, buffer, and no-take zones.
During patrols, BAKOD and Bantay Dagat teams prevent fishing in no-take MPAs, ensuring that these zones are effectively protected from human activities for the benefit of marine biodiversity and fisher communities. They also deter the use of illegal fishing methods and fishing with an unregistered boat in municipal waters.
If we don't take care of them or establish [marine sanctuaries], the fish will no longer have refuge or breeding grounds for our future generations. That's why it's very important for us to protect our sanctuaries.
– Marion Cepillo, Blue Alliance Key Ocean Defenders (BAKOD)
In collaboration with local and national government authorities, we have enabled our BAKOD and BD teams to enforce protocols during apprehension for MPA and fishery law violations as well as training them in anti-poaching techniques. We have also developed new enforcement strategies to improve surveillance routes for daily seaborne patrolling using our patrol vessels and foot patrols from our observation post and ranger stations. The team is also trained to use new equipment like night vision monoculars and GPS. We are innovating our monitoring and compliance programme with EarthRanger. This digital tool allows our BAKOD and BDs to provide real-time updates on MPA and fishery law violations, marine wildlife sightings or strandings
Key compliance support and programmes include:
Our goal is for each Marine Protected Area to be self-sustaining by addressing the funding gaps that have historically hindered effective MPA management. Reinvesting profits from reef-positive businesses back into MPAs is a core part of our strategy. We also provide training for community members interested in becoming involved in these initiatives.
A reef-positive business is a solution that reduces specific drivers of coral reef ecosystem degradation and contributes financially to MPA management. Blue Alliance Philippines aims to become self-sustaining through the development of a pipeline of reef-positive businesses in and around the conservation area, in Blue Economy sectors. These sustainable businesses will improve the livelihoods of coastal communities, reduce threats to marine biodiversity, and create tangible revenue streams that are reinvested directly back into our MPAs.
Our pipeline of reef-positive businesses includes:
Through BlueWild EcoVentures, our ecotourism division, we aim to harness tourism as a sustainable means of financially supporting Marine Protected Areas for the long term and to reduce drivers of coral reef ecosystem degradation linked to tourism activities.
Our approach is founded on four pillars:
• Through our network of resort and dive operator partners we inspire travellers to discover impactful marine travel destinations and experiences, and to share their stories and ours.
• By encouraging travellers to learn more about coral reefs and the threats they face, and by garnering their support, we work to ensure their long-term survival.
• By building tourism based social enterprises that contribute to the rewilding of the ocean by financially supporting effective marine conservation efforts, all the while demonstrating the positive impact that business can have when used as a force for good.
Our work, partnerships, and sustainable travel inspiration is featured on our Dive Mindoro website.
Sea Cucumbers and Mangrove Crabs
We are developing community-based mangrove crab and sea cucumber aquaculture projects with the goal of growing sustainable incomes for reinvestment into MPAs and supporting local communities through job creation. The hatchery and grow-out culture for mangrove crabs and sea cucumbers will also combat the overexploitation of wild stocks and help to maintain ecosystem integrity. We collaborate closely with the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
With the Philippines being extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts, conserving mangrove ecosystems plays a crucial role in threat mitigation and adaptation. We are exploring the sale of blue carbon credits through a partnership with the Uba Sustainability Institute.
We are also investigating the use of our aquaculture sites for aquasilviculture—integrating mangroves into fishponds with mangrove crabs and other species as part of our blue carbon programme.
