Ecological and Social Impacts of Aquacultural Introduction to Philippines Waters of Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp <em>Penaeus vannamei</em>

The importation of exotic aquatic species for aquaculture has become a worldwide practice. Culturing the Pacific whiteleg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei, outside its natural geographic range, however, can cause many problems. We evaluated the implications of the aquacultural introduction of P. vannamei to the Philippines waters both on ecological and social aspects. Several questions were answered and discussed based on literature, scientific details, reflections on personal experience and their relevance to aquaculture of the P. vannamei in the Philippines to evaluate the ecological impacts while social impacts were discussed only based on literature. Findings revealed the escapes of P. vannamei from aquaculture production facilities of several countries including the Philippines. Consequently, the ability of P. vannamei escapees to survive the natural environment could lead to ecological concerns such as resource competition, reproduction, and the spread of disease in the wild. On the other hand, the recent expansion of shrimp culture has resulted in social conflicts with other resource users. Therefore, this review shows the negative implications on the aquacultural introduction of Pacific whiteleg shrimp P. vannamei in the Philippines both ecological and social aspect, and this heightens important management issues to ensure sustainable farming of the shrimp in the Philippines

Taklobo Tours: Conservation, Tourism and Livelihood Opportunities in the Island Garden City of Samal, Southern Philippines

Taklobo Tours was launched in 2013 at Adecor, Samal Island, Southern Philippines, to promote giant clam conservation, ecotourism, and provide livelihood to 19 fisherfolk beneficiaries. This is to address the observations that coastal communities in Barangay Adecor and other areas in Region XI have violated RA 8550 on the rules and regulations of the CITES-listed species, Tridacna spp., and that fisherfolk have low income. This study aims to determine the impacts of Taklobo Tours to conservation, tourism, and livelihood of beneficiaries. Qualitative and quantitative data from 2013 to 2015 were used to analyze and describe the impacts. On top of the existing in-situ conservation of giant clams in a marine protected area (MPA), capacity building, conservation advocacy, policy support, and site development were among the site interventions. To date, the beneficiaries have increased their level of participation as conservation advocates, violations are no longer observed in the barangay, and communities have shown strong support for the advocacy. Being the banner tourism project of the local government, it has an increasing number of guests from 284 per month in 2013 to 700 per month in 2015, but usually higher during peak months of April and May. A total of 11,611 local and international guests visited and contributed to the income from fees amounting to PhP835,195.00. This provided additional income of PhP50 to PhP700 per month in 2013 and PhP500 to PhP4,800 per month in 2015 to the beneficiaries and sustainability fund to the project. This remarkable journey was made possible through the strong partnership of academe with local government units of Island Garden City of Samal and Adecor for technical assistance, promotion, management, and legislations. Regular monitoring is recommended to ensure project sustainability