Policies Supporting the Establishment and Management of MPA Networks

In support of the Marine Protected Area Network (MPAN) establishment and strengthening component of the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program (CMEMP), the ‘Strengthening Marine Protected Areas to Conserve Marine Key Biodiversity Areas in the Philippines’, also known as the SMARTSEAS project formulated a national policy on the Establishment and Management of MPANs, in the form of a Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) among DENR, DILG and DA-BFAR. The JMC was developed to strengthen management effectiveness of MPAs and MPANs, improve its financial sustainability and establish clear responsibilities among concerned agencies. Though the JMC has not yet been signed by the DILG and DA-BFAR, it has already resulted in the creation of the Project titled “Protecting priority coastal and marine ecosystems to conserve globally significant Endangered, Threatened, and Protected marine wildlife in southern Mindanao, Philippines”. The proposed project aims to strengthen coordination at the national scale with several on-going projects to have stronger contribution to marine wildlife management in existing Marine Conservation Areas (MCAs) and MPANs. The institutional arrangements developed by initiatives like SMARTSEAS and the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape (SSS) Project which include the MPAN JMC and the Marine Turtle Protected Area Network (MTPAN), will be used as a reference for the design of coordinating mechanisms for the Marine Wildlife Protected Area Network (MWPAN), with law enforcement agencies actively participating and engaged. The institutional arrangements for MPAN Planning under the MPAN JMC, provided guidelines on the establishment, management, and funding of MPANs. The proposed project will also strengthen the coordination between DENR and other government institutions and/or national stakeholders to improve MCA management and the conservation of marine wildlife on a nationwide scale (e.g. by ensuring that clear mandates are given and can be fulfilled, by minimizing conflicting agendas, and by streamlining coordination mechanisms between relevant agencies). An output of the proposed project is to provide support to the implementation of Wildlife Interaction Guidelines, where DENR, DA, DOT, and DILG will develop and issue a JMC that provides guidance for eco-tourism operators on how to interact with marine wildlife in their natural habitats to minimize stress, injuries, and mortalities of the animals and to avoid accidents with tourists. Local ordinances and MCA management plans incorporating and enforcing the rules and regulations stipulated in the Wildlife Interaction JMC is targeted to be formulated and passed in all project sites.