MARINE WILDLIFE WATCH
OF THE PHILIPPINES
Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines (MWWP) is a non-profit, non-stock conservation organization that aims to develop a better appreciation of the marine environment, its ecological processes and how it affects all of us through activities that focus on long-lived marine animals, also referred to as Endangered, Threatened, and Protected Marine Wildlife (ETPs-MW), such as dolphins, whales, dugong, sharks, rays, and marine turtles: iconic species of the marine environment. Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines was incorporated on the 13th of September 2010.
Now in its 10th year, the organization’s goal to support the conservation and protection of marine wildlife species and their habitats in the Philippines partnerships and collaborative work, remains unchanged.
The organization is still run on a volunteer-basis by its founder and supporters.
The MWWP achieves its goals through projects and activities such as information dissemination, education and awareness raising campaigns, training, research, publication of knowledge products, policy and consultation work related to marine wildlife conservation. Providing relevant information online through various social media platforms, particularly Facebook, remains the main venue for information dissemination.
OUR TEAM
Our Partners
At MWWP, partnerships, be it formal or informal, are important in meeting our conservation goals. We are proud and honored to have partnered up with different organizations, businesses, and organizations, both local and international, over the last decade.
Some of our partners over the years:
- Department of Agriculture-National Fisheries Research and Development Institute
- Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau
- Department of Tourism
- Conservation International - Philippines
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - Philippines
- Earth Island Institute
- Fishbase Information and Research Group
- Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences - Silliman University
- Ateneo de Cagayan McKeough Marine Center
- Tropical Marine Research for Conservation (TMRC)
- Save Philippine Seas (SPS)
- Dolphins Love Freedom
- Butanding Network
- BALYENA.ORG
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Management Office (TMO)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
- United Nations Environment Programme-Convention on Migratory Species
- The Philippine Animal Welfare Society
- CAPE Foundation
- D'Bone Collector Museum
- Large Marine Vertebrate Research Institute Philippines
- Pew Charitable Trust
- Wildlife Conservation Society
- Humane Society International
- Save Our Seas Foundation
Endangered, Threatened and Protected Marine Wildlife
The dugong, 5 species of turtles, and 28 species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) found within Philippine waters are listed in the CITES appendices and are protected in the country. At least 15 of these species are under the Red List Threatened categories (i.e. Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable) globally. Of the 106 elasmobranchs confirmed present in the Philippines (including whale sharks, mantas and wedgefishes), 57 species are assessed globally as Threatened but only 24 species are listed in CITES appendices and consequently protected in the country.
Populations of endangered, threatened and protected marine wildlife (ETP MW) continue to decline in the Philippines due to:
- Increase in abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear causing entanglement, injury, and drowning of marine wildlife. This is further aggravated by unsustainable, destructive and illegal fishing practices such as dynamite fishing.
- Poachers targeting live turtles and turtle eggs, shark fins, shark liver oil and other animals/animal parts that are sold domestically and internationally as meat for consumption, traditional medicine, jewellery and/or as taxidermied animals.
- Irresponsible tourism interactions with marine wildlife have become detrimental to species and ecosystems, a problem compounded by weak enforcement of national and local guidelines for sustainable tourism practices. Boat strikes and jet-ski strikes are a direct threat and have been the cause of many animal mortalities and strandings in the country.
- Climate change trend which are predicting stronger and more frequent typhoons, which will likely lead to increased strandings of marine wildlife, scarcity of prey, inundation of turtle nests, and changes in the sex ratios and nesting patterns of some species. Other expected climate-induced impacts may include erosion/siltation affecting seagrass areas, changes in salinity levels, and damage to mangrove forests and coral reefs (including destruction and bleaching).
