Vol. 9, Issue No. 3 (March 2008)

PEMSEA News

Corporate Responsibility in Action: Run to Save the Reefs

Taguig, Philippines ­ To raise funds and awareness for the preservation of the Tubbataha Reef in the
Philippines, Concepcion Durables Inc., a local manufacturing company in the Philippines, recently
organized the Race for the Reefs as part of its corporate responsibility efforts.

Students, women, community groups and local celebrities participated in the race for a cause held on 2
March in the City of Taguig, Philippines. PEMSEA staff joined in the 3 km, 5 km and 10 km divisions.
Flyers for the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 were also distributed during the activity.

The Tubbataha Reef is the largest coral atoll in the Philippines. It is recognized internationally for its
marine biodiversity and richness and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Preparations for the 2nd East Asian Seas Partnership Council
Meeting On-going

Manila, Philippines ­ Preparations for the 2nd East Asian Seas Partnership Council Meeting are being
undertaken by the PEMSEA Resource Facility. The PC Meeting will review the progress on the
implementation of the Sustainable Development for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-Sea) and build consensus
on future work plans. Included in the Meeting Agenda are the GEF/UNDP/UNOPS Project on the
Implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), the
GEF/World Bank Pollution Reduction Investment Fund, Recognition of PEMSEA's Legal Personality,
the East Asian Seas Congress 2009 preparations, and other regional/subregional transboundary initiatives.

The Technical Session of the Meeting will focus on the joint planning and coordination among Partners
through exchange of information such as transboundary and critical issues encountered during the
implementation of the SDS-SEA. The Intergovernmental Session of the Meeting will focus on PEMSEA's
transformation from a project-based initiative to self-sustained regional mechanism with a recognized legal
personality.

As part of preparations for the Council meeting, the Executive Committee of the EAS Partnership Council
held its second meeting on 14-15 at the PEMSEA Office Building in Manila, Philippines. The EC
approved the provisional agenda of the 2nd EAS Partnership Council Meeting.

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Securing the Oceans: Essays on Ocean Governance Published
Jointly by PEMSEA and Nippon Foundation

Manila, Philippines ­ Published a decade after the 1998 Year of the Ocean, the 25-chapter Securing the
Oceans: Essays on Ocean Governance is primarily aimed at increasing the awareness of the general public
on coasts and oceans and at strengthening their understanding of the functioning of the ocean, land-sea
interactions, ocean dynamics and ecosystem functioning. The book is published jointly by PEMSEA and
the Nippon Foundation and is edited by Chua Thia-Eng, Gunnar Kullenberg and Danilo Bonga.

The volume contains essays written by 25 authors in their different capacities as scientists, economists,
lawyers, teachers, managers, users of marine resources, national and international civil servants, and
administrators. Parts I, II and III of the book bring out the global perspective on ocean governance.
Various case studies put forward the interconnectivity between regional seas in terms of political,
socioeconomic, cultural, and especially ecological linkages. Part IV underscores the paradigm shift in the
traditional concept of ocean governance to a more proactive and dynamic approach in securing the ocean
for peaceful use. This chapter includes the conclusions forwarded by the participants in a regional
workshop on "Securing the Oceans" at the 2006 East Asian Seas Congress. The conclusions and
recommendations from the EAS Congress 2006 are published in two issues of the Tropical Coasts.

The publication of this book is made possible through a grant from the Nippon Foundation in support of
the Research Task Force on the Dynamics of Regional Cooperation on Oceans and Coasts. It is hoped
that this book will further stimulate and strengthen the pursuit of sustainable ocean development so as to
secure the ocean and its resources for our future generations.

The book was launched in Manila during the Partnership Night held at the PEMSEA Office Building on
14 March. The book will also be launched in Hanoi, Vietnam, during the 4th Global Conference on
Oceans, Coasts and Islands: Advancing Ecosystem Management and Integrated Coastal and Ocean
Management by 2010 in the context of Climate Change on 7-11 April.

To read the review by FIRE Project, click http://reviews.firetrench.com/?p=512.

To order online, go to the publications section of the PEMSEA website
(http://www.pemsea.org/publications).

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Bataan Coastal Land and Sea-use Zoning Plan Published

Bataan, Philippines ­ The Bataan Coastal Care Foundation has published the Coastal Land- and Sea-use
Zoning Plan (CLSUZP). The publication, released last 12 February, will help in resolving resource-use
conflicts in the province.

The integrated zoning plan was developed by an interagency and multisectoral group from the province,
assisted by PEMSEA. The plan was adopted on 4 December 2006 by the Bataan Provincial Board through
Sanggunian Panlalawigan 155 (Provincial Order 155). The CLSUZP is one of the integral components of
the Bataan Integrated Coastal Management Program in ensuring the sustainable development of Bataan.

The Bataan Coastal Care Foundation is the private sector partner of the provincial government in
implementing the Bataan ICM Program. The Foundation has 18 members and is headed by Petron
Foundation, with Executive Director Marilou G. Erni as its President.

To download the publication, go to the publications section of the PEMSEA website
(http://www.pemsea.org/publications).

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The 2nd Executive Committee (EC) Meeting and Partnership Night
Held in Manila

Quezon City, Philippines ­ The 2nd meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) of the East Asian Seas
Partnership Council was convened on 14­15 March at PEMSEA Office Building in Manila, Philippines.
The meeting was in preparation for the 2nd Partnership Council meeting in July 2008.

The meeting was attended by the three Council Chairs, namely, Dr. Chua Thia-Eng, Council Chair; Dr.
Li Haiqing, Intergovernmental Session Chair; and Mr. Hiroshi Terashima, Technical Session chair, as
well as representatives from UNDP Manila and other resource persons. The agenda for the meeting
included a presentation by the Technical Working Group on the recognition of PEMSEA's Legal
Personality and the start-up of the GEF/UNDP Project on Implementation of the Sustainable
Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), among others. The results of the meeting will
be reported during the EAS Partnership Council meeting in July 2008.

On the evening of 14 March, PEMSEA also hosted a Partnership Night at the PEMSEA Office Building.
The event provided a venue for PEMSEA partners to discuss various opportunities and initiatives for
strengthening collective efforts in coastal and ocean governance in the region over the years to come. The
Securing the Oceans ­ Essays on Ocean Governance, a book published jointly by PEMSEA and the
Nippon Foundation, was also launched during the event.

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Towards Stronger Fishery Management in Batangas Province

Batangas, Philippines ­ Fisheries is one of the major sources of livelihood in Batangas Province,
Philippines. The province, at the same time, is faced with varying issues including declining fish catch, use
of destructive fishing methods and conflict arising from overlapping jurisdictions among municipalities.

Each municipality has its own legislation concerning fishery management in its own municipal waters.
Recognizing the issue arising from the varying municipal fishery ordinances, the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan of Batangas seeks to strengthen fishery management through "unified" fishery legislation at
the provincial level. The provincial government recently called upon each municipality, including
fisherfolk organizations, to develop a position paper on the issues concerning the fishery sector and their
proposed actions. In relation to this, a meeting involving representatives from various Municipal
Agriculture Offices (MAOs), Integrated/Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management
Councils (I/MFARMCs), provincial government representatives and fisherfolk organizations was
convened by Conservation International (CI) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines on 6
February at Provincial Government of Batangas-Environment and Natural Resources Office (PG-ENRO).
The participants formulated several recommendations with regard to conservation and management of
coastal resources, including fisheries in the province, based on the issues concerning each municipality.

Building upon the recommendations of an earlier meeting of the Bantay-dagat Network and
nongovernmental organizations (CI and WWF-Phil) to strengthen the role of Bantay-dagat, through either
bay-wide or province-wide institutionalization, it was agreed that this will also be the major
recommendation of the meeting conducted. Bantay-dagat (sea wardens) is a civilian fisheries patrol force
made up of volunteers that try to keep a 24-hour watch on Batangas coastal waters of up to 15 km from
the shore.

The delineation of municipal waters based on Republic Act 8550 (Fisheries Code) was recommended to
resolve the conflict arising from overlapping jurisdictions among municipalities. Strengthening the role of
I/MFARMCs as a partner of the local government units (LGUs) in the conservation of marine and
coastal resources, particularly in the formulation of plans, policies, programs and projects in the
implementation of RA 8550, is also regarded as an essential action that can be considered by the
provincial government. The meeting also recommended that a study should be conducted in relation to
the imposition of regulations for "open and close" season for the fishery, such as the catching of dulong
and other endangered marine resources (e.g., tresher shark, etc.).

The provincial government is called to implement programs for better enforcement of regulations on
security of tenurial rights along the coasts (e.g., foreshore lease agreements, breakwater, fisherfolks
settlements, etc.). The implementation of the Batangas Province Strategic Environmental Management
Plan (SEMP), through the allocation of sufficient annual funds to provincial government agencies and
municipalities for the execution of programs identified in the plan, was stated as an equally essential
action that should be considered.

These recommendations signed by each of the participants along with the position papers to be prepared
by each municipality will be forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, particularly to the Committees
on Agriculture, Tourism, Environment, and Laws, Rules and Ordinances, for positive consideration.

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Chonburi ICM Program Scaled up to Cover Entire Provincial
Coastline

Chonburi, Thailand ­ An ICM scaling up declaration ceremony was held in Pattaya City, Banglamung
District, Chonburi Province on 23 January to welcome the participation of the municipalities of Nong Mai
Daeng and Na Jom Tien into the Chonburi Integrated Coastal Management Program.

The addition of the municipalities brings to 24 the total number of local governments participating in the
Chonburi ICM Program, including the Chonburi Provincial Administrative Organization, Pattaya City,
17 municipalities and 5 subdistrict administrative organizations.

Chonburi Province is the center for coastal tourism and economic development in the eastern region of
Thailand. However, rapid and unregulated coastal development and urbanization in the past 20 years
have posed threats to its ecological resources, cultural and traditional heritage, social security, economic
growth and overall quality of life. Recognizing the need to address such threats, the Provincial
Government of Chonburi, in collaboration with PEMSEA, established a demonstration project for ICM
implementation in August 2001. Starting with five participating municipalities covering 18 percent of the
provincial coastline, the ICM program now covers the entire 157-km provincial coastline, with a view to
encouraging the participation of non-coastal municipalities as well.

By signing the Declaration to participate in the ICM Program, Mr. Sompong Saynapha, Mayor of Na Jom
Tiem, and Ms. Toungthip Phavasutchaiyakit, Mayor of Nong Mai Daeng Municipality, committed the
two municipalities to apply the ICM framework and support the implementation of a sustainable coastal
management program guided by the Chonburi Coastal Strategy and its implementation plan.

Mr. Comsan Ekachai, Vice Governor of Chonburi Province and Chair of the Chonburi ICM Committee;
Mr. Chatchai Thimkrajang, Mayor of Sriracha Municipality and Director of the ICM Program; and Mr.
Ittipon Kunplome, Advisor for the Mayor of Pattaya City, co-signed the Declaration as witnesses.
Governor Pracha Terat expressed his appreciation and commended all those who have contributed to the
progress of ICM implementation in Chonburi.

The signing ceremony was attended by members of the multiagency and cross-sectoral Chonburi ICM
Coordinating Committee, participating local governments, relevant government agencies, and
representatives from the academe, private sector, industry, nongovernmental organizations, communities,
and the media.

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