The Verde Island Passage, the ‘Amazon of the Ocean,’ sees World Heritage Site status

The Verde Island Passage (VIP), known as the “Amazon of the Ocean” because of the wide variety of coastal marine fish, is now ready to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“We believe that this situation will not only highlight the VIP … it will also add another layer of protection to protect the very important environment of the VIP,” said Martha Vergara, OIC Vice President for Oceans and Climate at the Center for Energy, and Development (CEED) said during a press conference last Friday.

VIP is located in the square that separates the islands of Luzon and Mindoro, where more than 1736 overlapping species live together in an area of ​​10 sq. just km.

According to the research of Professor Kent Carpenter, a marine biologist, and other scientists who study the waters of countries within the Coral Triangle, they found that VIP is the site with “the highest number of marine animals in the world,” said Mr. Carpenter.

It is also home to 50% of marine life in the Indo-Pacific region, he added

Apart from its rich biodiversity, the VIP is also a lifeline for two million residents who depend on it for fishing and tourism.

According to CEED, this road brings in an estimated P12 Billion in annual income from fishing alone, which the residents of the provinces of Batangas, Marinduque, Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, and Romblon depend on.

Despite its ecological and economic importance, the VIP is facing increasing threats from various anthropogenic activities, including those caused by the transportation industry, energy expansion, fuel consumption, and climate change.

“They’re putting pressure on a fragile VIP ecosystem,” Ms. Vergara said.

The following anthropogenic activities, as well as the devastating Mindoro oil spill of 2023, caused P41.2 billion worth of damage, according to CEED.

Designating the VIP as a World Heritage Site will not only confirm its global importance but also encourage support for its protection, CEED said.

No fishermen are left behind

As VIP’s bid to become a World Heritage Site continues, the issue of poverty among fishermen should also be addressed, said the community’s lawyer.

“It is something that is needed to help eradicate poverty in the island and for all VIP communities to be protected,” said Gela Petines, Founder of Batang VIP during a press conference last Friday.

Ms. Petines is the community representative of Barangay San Andres, a community in Isla Verde, Batangas.

Despite the fact that the community lives near the marine shorefish biodiversity center, Ms. Petines said many families are still under hunger, earning less than P5,000 a month.

“It is the site of the richest marine life but why it is also home to the poorest, it makes no sense,” he said.

Poverty on the island has been exacerbated by the drastic decline in fishing in recent years, forcing them to sail further into the deep reefs.

The decline in fish catches is attributed to the increase in the population of the island, climate change, pollution, industrial activities, and typhoons, Maximo Bayuba, a fisherman and Vice President for external affairs in Bukluran ng Mangingisda sa Batangas.

“Noong una nakakahuli kami in one night there are 25 kilos hanggang 30 kilos. Ngayon ang nahuhuli namin at nahuhuli ng mga anak ko ay meron lang hig isang kilo, meron lang maiuulam ang isang pamilya [At first, we used to catch 25 to 30 kilos in one night. Now, what my children and I catch is just over a kilo, barely enough for one family’s meal,” Mr. Bayubay said.  

Some fishermen in VIP even practice compressor fishing, where they dive to at least 40 feet underwater, taking in air from an air compressor powered by their boat. 

This fishing practice is discouraged on VIP due to the risk of decompression sickness or illness, which could potentially lead to death. 

“It is not something that they want to do, it is just out of necessity,” Ms. Petines said.  

In a 2021 report released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), fisherfolk recorded the highest poverty incidence at 30.6%.  

This is followed by sectors such as farmers (30%), children (26.4%), and individuals residing in rural areas (25.7%). 

“These sectors had the highest proportion of individuals belonging to families with income below the official poverty thresholds compared to the other basic sectors,” PSA said in a statement.  

Ms. Petines also noticed that the dropout rate in Brgy. San Andres is notably high.  

In her conversation with the children, they usually say “Marunong na akong mangisda [I already know how to fish],” causing them to drop out of school before Grade 3, often by the age of ten.

If VIP becomes a World Heritage Site, Ms. Petines and Mr. Bayubay hopes for support to help communities transition to financially and environmentally sustainable lifestyles.

This is due to potentially stricter fishing regulations to protect VIP marine biodiversity. – Edg Adrian A. Eva