Fish house project eyed to protect corals

A fish house project was launched last Thursday afternoon by Shangri-La Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City to encourage participation by its staffers and guests in protecting marine life and the coastal environment.
Shangri-La Hotel Director of Sports and Recreation Giles Leonard said the fish house project will help preserve the five-hectare marine protected area (MPA) within their site.
Leonard said Shangri La had been working in their five hectare marine protected area (MPA) since 2007.
“This is to preserve what we have. To allow the corals to recover and to allow the marine life to increase,” he added.
He said they are coordinating with the University of San Carlos (USC) in conducting studies on how to revive the sea grass and reintroduce sea horses in the area.
Shangri La in-house marine biologist Irene Grace Tan said guests and staffers need only to collect rocks or stones, corals (non-living), cement and sand from the shores of Mactan as their materials.
A fish house is built by piling up the corals and rocks in a dome or pyramid framework. This is cured for three to five days before it is submerged into the sea.
“It would encourage growth for algae and marine plants and serve as protection of the marine life,” Tan added.
The fish house would function as an “artificial reef” for the marine life.
Around 20 giant clams rescued from the sea waters off Palawan were found along the five-hectare marine protected area of the Shangri-La Hotel and Beach Resort.
The largest measures at least one meter, Tan said.
Last Thursday, six resort and water park owners in Lapu-Lapu City signed an agreement (MOU) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to promote a public awareness campaign for the conservation of coral reefs.
These resorts consist of the BE Resorts, Plantation Bay, Crimson Resort and Spa, Shangri-La Hotel, Imperial Palace and Lapu-Lapu City Marine Sports and Boat Owners Association.
Today, a simultaneous coastal clean up of 30 barangays in Lapu-Lapu City will be held to mark Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Day.
An underwater clean up will also be done in the waters off barangays Maribago and Marigondon. Mangrove bagging and mangrove planting will also be done in the afternoon. Correspondent Joy Cherry S. Quito