TACLOBAN CITY—Marine life congregation on artificial reefs has dramatically increased six months after 72 bamboo artificial reef modules were launched off barangay Poblacion, Padre Burgos, in Southern Leyte, said a provincial consultant on marine tourism.
“To date, 146 fish species or families and 124 species of invertebrates were identified or documented,” said Rio Cahambing, who is also the consultant on coastal resource management in the province.
The project is a joint undertaking of French non-governmental organization Scaph Pro (Philippines) Oceanographic Research and the local government of Padre Burgos, with the provincial government providing the technical support.
The number of species of fishes, invertebrates and other marine organisms that has since congregated and colonized the artificial reefs was detailed in a report recently submitted by Jean Francois Marailhac, a French oceanographer and vice president of Scaph Pro, (Philippines) and its president Michael Levett, operator of True Blue Diving in Padre Burgos to the local government of Padre Burgos.
“The project is still on its first phase, and Scaph Pro Philippines intends to expand the artificial reef area to the adjacent barangay of Cantutang, Padre Burgos,” Cahambing said in a statement.
Cahambing added that Southern Leyte Gov. Roger Mercado recently donated bamboos to be made into additional artificial reef modules.
“The materials are now ready for transport from the governor’s tree park in Barangay Bogo, Maasin City to the construction site in Sta. Sofia, Padre Burgos,” Cahambing added.
“In the trunk line are several additional artificial reefs ready to launch as soon as logistic requirements are met in the next few weeks. The group is targeting a total of 400 modules to cover the two coastal barangays.”
