Interactions Between Marine Megafauna and Plastic Pollution in Southeast Asia

Southeast (SE) Asia is a highly biodiverse region, yet it is also estimated to cumulatively contribute a third of the total global marine plastic pollution. This threat is known to have adverse impacts on marine megafauna, however, understanding of its impacts has recently been highlighted as a priority for research in the region. To address this knowledge gap, a structured literature review was conducted for species of cartilaginous fishes, marine mammals, marine reptiles, and seabirds present in SE Asia, collating cases on a global scale to allow for comparison, coupled with a regional expert elicitation to gather additional published and grey literature cases which would have been omitted during the structured literature review. Of the 380 marine megafauna species present in SE Asia, but also studied elsewhere, we found that 9.1 % and 4.5 % of all publications documenting plastic entanglement (n = 55) and ingestion (n = 291) were conducted in SE Asian countries. At the species level, published cases of entanglement from SE Asian countries were available for 10 % or less of species within each taxonomic group. Additionally, published ingestion cases were available primarily for marine mammals and were lacking entirely for seabirds in the region. The regional expert elicitation led to entanglement and ingestion cases from SE Asian countries being documented in 10 and 15 additional species respectively, highlighting the utility of a broader approach to data synthesis. While the scale of the plastic pollution in SE Asia is of particular concern for marine ecosystems, knowledge of its interactions and impacts on marine megafauna lags behind other areas of the world, even after the inclusion of a regional expert elicitation. Additional funding to help collate baseline data are critically needed to inform policy and solutions towards limiting the interactions of marine megafauna and plastic pollution in SE Asia

Interactions between marine megafauna and plastic pollution in Southeast Asia

Southeast (SE) Asia is a highly biodiverse region, yet it is also estimated to cumulatively contribute a third of the total global marine plastic pollution. This threat is known to have adverse impacts on marine megafauna, however, understanding of its impacts has recently been highlighted as a priority for research in the region. To address this knowledge gap, a structured literature review was conducted for species of cartilaginous fishes, marine mammals, marine reptiles, and seabirds present in SE Asia, collating cases on a global scale to allow for comparison, coupled with a regional expert elicitation to gather additional published and grey literature cases which would have been omitted during the structured literature review. Of the 380 marine megafauna species present in SE Asia, but also studied elsewhere, we found that 9.1 % and 4.5 % of all publications documenting plastic entanglement (n = 55) and ingestion (n = 291) were conducted in SE Asian countries. At the species level, published cases of entanglement from SE Asian countries were available for 10 % or less of species within each taxonomic group. Additionally, published ingestion cases were available primarily for marine mammals and were lacking entirely for seabirds in the region. The regional expert elicitation led to entanglement and ingestion cases from SE Asian countries being documented in 10 and 15 additional species respectively, highlighting the utility of a broader approach to data synthesis. While the scale of the plastic pollution in SE Asia is of particular concern for marine ecosystems, knowledge of its interactions and impacts on marine megafauna lags behind other areas of the world, even after the inclusion of a regional expert elicitation. Additional funding to help collate baseline data are critically needed to inform policy and solutions towards limiting the interactions of marine megafauna and plastic pollution in SE Asia

Survey of subtidal anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) in Mayo Bay, Mati City, davao oriental, Philippines

Anthropogenic marine debris (AMD) is considered a global threat to the marine environment. Mortality from ingestion or entanglement in AMD is widely reported from marine animals and has harmful impacts on seagrass and corals. The distribution of AMD plays a vital role in its interaction with marine organisms. However, there is little information on AMD distribution in the Philippines – a country ranked as the third most significant contributor of AMD in the ocean. During the monitoring of dugong (Dugong dugon) feeding trails in Mati City, Davao Oriental, Philippines, AMD was recorded at one of the sites surveyed. Plastic debris was the most dominant in number and weight of total AMD collected. Here we present the first quantification, characterization, and distribution of AMD in a shallow subtidal area in Mati City, Philippines. More studies are needed to assess the impacts of AMD on the marine environment and organisms, particularly within the Philippines.</p

Wild lobster (Panulirus ornatus) fry fishery in Balete bay, Davao Oriental : Catch trends and implications to fisheries management

The coastal ecosystem of the Philippines is one of the richest and most diverse on earth. Lobsters are one of the commercially exploited species targeted by small-scale fishers for their livelihood and income. This study aims to determine the catch, and catching pattern of the wild lobster fry fishery, quantify the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and identify issues and challenges present in the lobster fry fishery for improved conservation and management. A combination of semi-structured interviews (n = 90), focus group discussion (n = 35) and actual catch monitoring for three months of lobster fry fishers (n = 20) were conducted to elicit information on lobster catch, composition, fishing practices and issues and challenges. Results from the interview and focus groups showed that majority of fishers catch the fries of Panulirus ornatus, Parribacus antarcticus and Panulirus versicolor. They catch most of the lobster fries using bamboo traps and beach seine. The analysis of the CPUE also revealed significant results (P ≤ 0.05) with the good catch having the highest CPUE value (0.30 g) followed by the normal catch (0.16 g) and worst catch of (0.02 g). In terms of weekly field monitoring of the catches of 20 fishers, temporal variation in terms of weeks was highly significant (P = 0.000; R2 = 22). Some management issues mentioned by fishers include effluents from shrimp farming, illegal fishing, chemical residues from mango farms and improper waste disposal. The lack of a management plan, as well as a system to control who has access to the fishing ground of lobster fries, can negatively affect the long-term sustainability of the lobster fry fishery.</p

Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) on Fish Behavior Around Anchored FADs: the Case of Tuna Purse Seine and Ringnet Fishers from Southern Philippines

The Fishing Industry in the Philippines plays an important role in the food and employment need of Filipino fishers. By using anchored Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs or payao), the Philippine tuna fisheries was transformed into a million-dollar industry. Minimal studies on exploitation rates and fish behavior around anchored FADs hampered further understanding of this fishery practice. Studies on fish behavior using Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) are good complement where data is limited. A study using semi-structured interview (n = 46) and three focus group discussions (n = 39 participants) to record fishers' knowledge and observations on the behavior of different fish species around anchored FADs was conducted. This particularly focused on attraction, retention, and departure behavior of fishes in identified FAD sites. Based on the fishers' knowledge, tuna schools are attracted to anchored FADs at 10 km distance. In anchored FADs, tuna form schools segregated by species and size. There was no relationship between the attraction distance and the reported school size and the various waiting times for fish to aggregate below the FADs. There was no variation between the species present at day or night time although fishers have reported a distinction of species found near the surface (0–10 m) and those found at other depths (11–20 m). Juvenile yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), and frigate and bullet tunas (Auxis spp.) are found to stay at 25–50 m from the FAD at a depth of &gt;20 m. Adult oceanic tunas reside in deeper waters (75 m). The fish visual census produced similar results with the semi-structured interviews and FGDs but did not observe oceanic tunas at depths of 15–20 m in the anchored FADs examined

Interactions between marine megafauna and plastic pollution in Southeast Asia

Southeast (SE) Asia is a highly biodiverse region, yet it is also estimated to cumulatively contribute a third of the total global marine plastic pollution. This threat is known to have adverse impacts on marine megafauna, however, understanding of its impacts has recently been highlighted as a priority for research in the region. To address this knowledge gap, a structured literature review was conducted for species of cartilaginous fishes, marine mammals, marine reptiles, and seabirds present in SE Asia, collating cases on a global scale to allow for comparison, coupled with a regional expert elicitation to gather additional published and grey literature cases which would have been omitted during the structured literature review. Of the 380 marine megafauna species present in SE Asia, but also studied elsewhere, we found that 9.1 % and 4.5 % of all publications documenting plastic entanglement (n = 55) and ingestion (n = 291) were conducted in SE Asian countries. At the species level, published cases of entanglement from SE Asian countries were available for 10 % or less of species within each taxonomic group. Additionally, published ingestion cases were available primarily for marine mammals and were lacking entirely for seabirds in the region. The regional expert elicitation led to entanglement and ingestion cases from SE Asian countries being documented in 10 and 15 additional species respectively, highlighting the utility of a broader approach to data synthesis. While the scale of the plastic pollution in SE Asia is of particular concern for marine ecosystems, knowledge of its interactions and impacts on marine megafauna lags behind other areas of the world, even after the inclusion of a regional expert elicitation. Additional funding to help collate baseline data are critically needed to inform policy and solutions towards limiting the interactions of marine megafauna and plastic pollution in SE Asia

Interactions between marine megafauna and plastic pollution in Southeast Asia

Southeast (SE) Asia is a highly biodiverse region, yet it is also estimated to cumulatively contribute a third of the total global marine plastic pollution. This threat is known to have adverse impacts on marine megafauna, however, understanding of its impacts has recently been highlighted as a priority for research in the region. To address this knowledge gap, a structured literature review was conducted for species of cartilaginous fishes, marine mammals, marine reptiles, and seabirds present in SE Asia, collating cases on a global scale to allow for comparison, coupled with a regional expert elicitation to gather additional published and grey literature cases which would have been omitted during the structured literature review. Of the 380 marine megafauna species present in SE Asia, but also studied elsewhere, we found that 9.1 % and 4.5 % of all publications documenting plastic entanglement (n = 55) and ingestion (n = 291) were conducted in SE Asian countries. At the species level, published cases of entanglement from SE Asian countries were available for 10 % or less of species within each taxonomic group. Additionally, published ingestion cases were available primarily for marine mammals and were lacking entirely for seabirds in the region. The regional expert elicitation led to entanglement and ingestion cases from SE Asian countries being documented in 10 and 15 additional species respectively, highlighting the utility of a broader approach to data synthesis. While the scale of the plastic pollution in SE Asia is of particular concern for marine ecosystems, knowledge of its interactions and impacts on marine megafauna lags behind other areas of the world, even after the inclusion of a regional expert elicitation. Additional funding to help collate baseline data are critically needed to inform policy and solutions towards limiting the interactions of marine megafauna and plastic pollution in SE Asia