Local Threats

The use of cyanide to stun and capture live coral reef fish began in the 1960s in the Philippines to supply the growing market for aquarium fish. Despite the fact that cyanide fishing is nominally illegal in virtually all Indo-Pacific countries, the high premium paid for live reef fish, weak enforcement capacities, and frequent corruption have spread the use of the poison across the entire region. Since the 1960s, more than one million kilograms of cyanide has been squirted onto Philippine reefs

People and the Sea has developed a set of ’tools’ and a unique integrated approach to better environmental conservation and poverty reduction. They have developed 5 core programmes on Malapascua that touch different elements of the community, but always carrying a clear and consistent message. These programmes are all funded through sustainable, independent sources. And while these programmes address real, current and very palable problems in their own right, their real success lies in the ability to bring people together and to build partnerships.