Trowel Development Foundation, Inc. (TDFI) and its local partners commit to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals - to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. By building a local movement of men and women fishers together with other local stakeholders and developing their collective capacities for conserving fisheries and aquatic biodiversity and undertaking fishery-based livelihood activities, TDFI hopes to ensure local food security, sustainable economic development, and environmental resilience of poor and vulnerable fishing communities in Northern Samar, Philippines.
TDFI and its local partners will continue to conduct awareness-raising seminars, community training, and mentoring sessions at the community level. These capacity-building activities will equip the local fishers and stakeholders with technical knowledge and skills on rehabilitation of degraded fishery habitats, protection of fishing grounds and the aquatic resources, and improvement of fishery productivity and income.
By utilizing local assets human, social, physical, natural and financial - and accessing project support from outside, various community activities will be undertaken towards the accomplishment of following target outputs:
1. Safeguarding and maintenance of the 50 - hectare fish sanctuary in Barangay Barobaybay;
2. Strict implementation of regulated fishing activities (closed season) in the 300-hectare Lalaguna Bay from March to May every year;
3. Restoration of additional 100-hectare denuded mangrove areas through direct planting of propagules following the bamboo-potting technique and transplanting of mangrove wildlings and seedlings;
4. Continuing protection of 1,388 hectares of existing mangrove forest;
5. Safeguarding and protection of coral reef areas and banning of gathering of corals in five (5) barangays Barobaybay, Libas, Sabang Tabok, Urdaneta, and Villa;
6. Regular patrolling of the municipal and barangay waters by MFLET and Barangay Bantay Dagat;
7. Regular coastal clean-up; and
8. Undertaking fishery-based sustainable livelihood activities such as eco-friendly tie-crab fattening, multi-species herbivore fish culture, and seaweed farming.
Trowel and its local partners will track the progress of implementation of these voluntary commitments through regular monitoring and periodic assessment activities following the input-process-outcome model and will utilize tools and techniques on participatory resource appraisal ocular inspection and investigation, key informant interview, and focus group discussion among others.
Specifically to be determined during the monitoring and assessment activities are the composition, status, and condition of the various fishery and aquatic resources fish stocks, coral cover, seagrass beds, and mangrove forest including the performance of the different livelihood activities tie-crab fattening, multi-species herbivore fish culture and seaweed farming.
As had been practiced in all the projects that it implemented, the TDFI will establish a co-management mechanism in the implementation of these voluntary commitments. This mechanism involves all the partners in defining policies, implementation guidelines, and priorities as well as in the actual conduct of the different activities. The TDFI will constitute a technical management unit composed of the fishery officer, forestry officer, community development officer, and manager who will coordinate and oversee the different activities.
Progress reports
By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information
By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism
Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want
April 2018
Regular coastal clean-up
December 2018
Safeguarding and maintenance of the 50 - hectare fish sanctuary in Barangay Barobaybay; Restoration of additional 100-hectare denuded mangrove areas through direct planting of propagules following the bamboo-potting technique and transplanting of mangrove wildlings and seedlings; Continuing protection of 1,388 hectares of existing mangrove forest; Safeguarding and protection of coral reef areas and banning of gathering of corals in five (5) barangays Barobaybay, Libas, Sabang Tabok, Urdaneta, and Villa
December 2018
Strict implementation of regulated fishing activities (closed season) in the 300-hectare Lalaguna Bay from March to May every year; Regular patrolling of the municipal and barangay waters by MFLET and Barangay Bantay Dagat;
December 2018
Establish 10 community-managed seaweed farms; Establish 10 community-managed multi-species herbivore fish farms; Establish 10 community-managed tie-crab farms
Financing (in USD)
146,000 USD
Staff / Technical expertise
Consultancy services to be provided by the professors and academic staff of the College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Resources of the University of Eastern Philippines as technical support The Dean wrote a letter of support to the ISLA CORAL Prog
In-kind contribution
Materials such propagules including use of boats and provision of manpower from the members of the local partners and the communities for the conduct of the different activities. Use of facilities of the municipality of Lavezares including venue for meet
