TropicalCoast 4th new indd

Contents

22

Evolving Processes in Developing Site 

Conservation Targets

10

Tri-National Governance 

of the Sulu-Sulawesi 

Marine Ecoregion

51 

04

 One Vision, One 

Plan, Common Resources, 

Joint Management 

12

 

Partnerships at Work 

in the Seas of Sulu and 

Sulawesi

34

 Special Feature: 

Memorandum of Understanding 

between Indonesia, Malaysia 

and the Philippines on the 

Adoption of the Conservation 

Plan for the Sulu-Sulawesi 

Marine Ecoregion

Raphael P.M. Lotilla

Executive Editor

S. Adrian Ross

Editor

Andre Jon Uychiaoco

Sheila Vergara

Issue Editor

Anna Rita Cano

Assistant Editor

tr

opical

 

coasts

www

.pemsea.or

g

The Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia 

(PEMSEA), Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Development 

Programme (UNDP), United Nations Offi

  ce for Project Services (UNOPS), 

publish Tropical Coasts Magazine biannually. This publication is geared towards 

stimulating an exchange of information and sharing of experiences and ideas 

with respect to environmental protection and the management of coastal and 

marine areas. Readers are strongly encouraged to send their contributions to:

Executive Editor

P.O. Box 2502,

Quezon City 1165,

Metro Manila, Philippines

The contents of this publication do not necessarily refl ect

the views or policies of the Global Environment Facility

(GEF), the United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP), the United Nations Offi

  ce for Project Services  (UNOPS), Partnerships in 

Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), Conservation 

International and other participating organizations, or the editors, nor are

they an offi

  cial record. The designation employed and the presentation do not imply 

the expression of opinion whatsoever on the part of GEF, UNDP, UNOPS, PEMSEA, 

and CI concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city or its authority, or 

concerning the delimitation of

its territory or boundaries.

ISSN 0117-9756

Enforcement of Coastal 

and Marine Environmental 

Laws in the Sulu-Sulawesi 

Seas

Zooming Into the 

Future of the 

Sulu-Sulawesi 

Seas

58

Jonel Dulay

Ray Nonnato Leyesa

Design/Illustration/DTP

Teresita Camacho

Olivia Sylvia Inciong

Deborah Villa

Writing Assistance

Vanessa Bautista

Research

V

ol. 15     No

. 1     J

ul

y 2008

Contributors

 

Porfi rio M. Aliño

Ruth Grace R. Ambal

William Azucena

Jose Ricky Biyo

Chung Chen Fung

Art Faburada

Vivien Facunla

Hubert Froyalde

Joel S. Gutierrez

Nancy Ibuna

Evangeline  Florence   

      B. Miclat

Manuel Narvadez, Jr.

Nicholas Pilcher

Miledel Christine C.  

 

     Quibilan

Rina Maria P. Rosales

Angelique Songco

Romeo B. Trono

Sebastian Troeng

Sheila G. Vergara

Rochelle Villanueva

Sulu-Sulawesi Marine  

     Ecosystem Tri-National  

     Secretariat in Malaysia

28

 The Framework 

for a Network of MPAs 

in the SSME: Status of 

Implementation  

46

 Turtles ‘Rap’ in the 

Sulu-Sulawesi

38

 Establishing 

MPA Networks in Marine 

Biodiversity Conservation 

Corridors 

Cover Photo by: Jüergen Freund

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4

July 2008

One Vision, One Plan, Common 

Resources, Joint Management   

By    Evangeline F.B. Miclat and Romeo B. Trono

        Conservation International-Philippines

In 2001, Indonesia, Malaysia, and 

the Philippines formed a common 

50-year vision for biodiversity and 

sustainable productivity in the large 

marine ecosystem (LME) (Miclat and  

Trono, 2002; and Stakeholders of the 

SSME, et al., 2004)  called the  Sulu-

Sulawesi Seas

1

  (SSS).

More than 70 marine scientists, 

socioeconomic experts, resource 

managers and policymakers from 

the three countries participated 

in the formulation of the vision 

for this marine ecosystem, which 

is characterized by overlapping 

boundaries, shared resources and 

marine life, and transboundary issues. 

 

The vision consists of 58 priority 

conservation areas identified through 

overlaying locations of importance 

for mangroves and estuaries, marine 

plants, coral reefs, demersal fishes 

and invertebrates, pelagic fi shes, 

and charismatic species such as sea 

turtles and marine mammals, among 

others. These 58 priority conservation 

areas represent the known range 

of biodiversity and ecological and 

evolutionary processes that maintain 

biodiversity in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas 

1

  Sulu-Celebes large marine  ecosystem in the 

Global Environment Facility-International 

Waters (GEF-IW) portfolio; Sulu-Sulawesi 

Marine Ecoregion in the ratifi ed tri-national 

Memorandum of Understanding.

2

 

ECP or Ecoregion Conservation Plan for 

SSME is the offi

  cial term used by the 

governments.  

 

(Miclat, et al., 2006; and Stakeholders 

of the SSME, et al., 2004). 

From the vision, an ecosystem-wide 

Conservation Plan for Sulu-Sulawesi 

Marine Ecoregion (SSME)

2

 was 

developed through a participatory 

process. The consultation process 

entailed 12 workshops across the 

three countries and engaged the 

participation of 153 stakeholder 

organizations from the local and 

national levels. The SSME Plan 

consists of country action plans 

and an ecoregion-level action plan, 

all hinged on a set of 10 objectives 

and aligned to the national 

priorities of the countries and their 

commitments to common relevant 

international instruments and 

conventions (Stakeholders of the 

SSME, et al., 2004). 

The Ecoregion Conservation Plan 

(ECP) plan aims to:

1. Establish management 

strategies and coordinated 

institutions for effective 

ecoregional conservation;

2. Establish a functional 

integrated network of priority 

conservation areas to ensure 

ecological integrity;

3. Develop sustainable livelihood 

systems that support marine 

and coastal conservation across 

the ecoregion;

The Vision for the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas

A marine ecoregion that remains to be globally unique 

and a centre of diversity with vibrant ecological integrity, 

including all species assemblages, communities, habitats 

and ecological processes.

A highly productive ecoregion that sustainably and 

equitably provides for the socioeconomic and cultural 

needs of the human communities dependent on it.

An ecoregion where biodiversity and productivity are 

sustained through the generations by participatory and 

collaborative management across all political and cultural 

boundaries.

Image Source: WWF-Philippines.

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