Albay Islands Philippines
Land Of The World's Most Perfect Cone

Albay San Miguel Island Marine Reserve...

HISTORY
The marine reserve was founded by the Coastal Resource Management Project in San Miguel Island (COREMAP-SMI), which is a multi-disciplinary approach to developoing and managing habitats and resources through the establishment of marine fishery reserves in the context of a community-participated co-managed scheme. Collaborators on the project includes:, Tabaco City Council, Sagurong Barangay Council, Bicol University, Haribon Foundation, PRRM, UP-MSI, BFAR Region V, US Peace Corps, and other local government sectors. Research began in 1995 and the reserve was officially established in 1998.

CONSERVATION IN ACTION
The reserve is an important stop the local community of barangay Sagurong has taken to ensure both an economic future in fishing, and the conservation of the local envrionmental treasures. Much of Bicol's reefs, and consequently the fishing resources, have been decimated due to illegal and damaging fishing practices such as dynamite and cyanide. The reseve is an area where fish and the reef are protected from such damaging techniques, and fish populations are allowed to prosper. The reserve is also the site of ongoing research by the BUTC research team to monitor the fish populations and fisheries productivity of San Miguel Island.