Community‐based coral reef management on san Salvador island, the Philippines

The Marine Conservation Project for San Salvador Island, Zambales (MCPSS) was initiated in 1988. The primary goal was to organize a community‐based marine resource management scheme for the island community. This paper provides an overview of the MCPSS, a profile of the site, the means of implementation, and results from the first 2 years of work with lessons for similar programs. The MCPSS has succeeded in establishing a municipal marine park with a 125‐ha nonfishing sanctuary and a traditional fishing reserve surrounding the island. These zones have been established through a process of community education, organization, and participatory decision making which resulted in a municipal ordinance and community support. The MCPSS, although encountering various obstacles of local island politics, technical deficiencies, and limited funding, has shown that it is possible to engage island communities of fisherfolk in coral reef protection and management that may be sustainable. It has abo been shown that the use of destructive fishing techniques such as blast, sodium cyanide, and others particular to the site can be stopped by community action.