Talim Bay Coastal Resources Management Project

Restoring  Talim Bay Reef ‘s Glory

Giant Clam Monitoring

       The Talim bay Marine Protected  Area (MPA) is  now  home  not  only  to  the endangered giant clam, Tridacne gigas  locally  known as  taklobo, but  to a number of  endangered species of corals  such as the  Pillar Coral (Dendrogyra cylindricus).

       The member fishers of LFA, as local  stewards of the  Talim  bay resource continue to monitor  and protect the reseeded giant  clams in their  MPA. A team  of  diver-fishers  from partner people's organization conducted their quarterly monitoring  on  March 23, 2017  of the MPA in Sitio Kayreyna, Brgy. Lumaniag, Lian, Batangas, specially noting the  growth  and  survival  of forty six (46) cultured  giant  clams that were donated  by both the government’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – national  and its Batangas provincial office.  We  remember  the restocking of  these taklobo or  giant clams undertaken on  April 6, 21 and  May 17, 2016 by  LGU  Lian ( Batangas), in  partnership  with the Lian Fisherfolk  Association, Inc. (LFA),  Center  for Social Concern and  Action (COSCA)  and the DENR as  part  of  the local government’s efforts to conserve the  reported threatened and  endangered giant clams.

Reef  Survey

        Diver-fishers from LFA and from DLSU-COSCA, in partnership with the Br. Alfred Shields, FSC Marine Station conducted last March 24, 2017 an ecological assessment  of the reef.  The team noted various  species of corals and  observed other marine organisms that  thrive in the  Talim bay reef.  The regular reef monitoring basically aims to update information on the status of the coral reef aside  from considering reef  checking as venue  for the community  and for other  stakeholders to evaluate  management  measures implemented  for the Talim bay MPA.  Organizations supporting  the biodiversity  conservation initiative for Talim bay  recognize that key to getting valuable source  of information for  program stakeholders to  conduct effective management of the coral reef of Talim Bay is the involvement of community members, hence, the active participation of the LFA diver-fisher members in the regular reef check activity.

        During the same reef  check activity, the Fishers  noted  a number of  endangered species of corals already  showing  signs  of  life in the Talim  bay MPA reef while  conscious  of  noting possible instances of coral bleaching and presence of coral diseases in the MPA.