Reef Rescue: Financing Marine Conservation in the Philippines

With a longer coastline than the united States and a multitude of islands to its name, the Philippines faces more challenges than most in protecting its marine environment. Major problems such as overfishing currently threaten both the rich biodiversity of its seas and the livelihoods of fishermen and those who depend on coastal tourism. In light of this grim picture, the results of a new study, which investigates the future funding of marine conservation in the country, make interesting reading. The study looked at the willingness of people in three major cities to pay for the conservation of the Philippine's world-renowned national marine nature reserve. It found that a sizeable percentage of those surveyed would be willing to pay and that, if this potential income stream was tapped, it would more than cover the cost of protecting the reserve.