Great explorers traverse the unknown in great ships: if Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea had his Nautilus, and Captain Solo of Star Wars fame had his beloved Millennium Falcon –then the Sulu Sea-based conservation researchers of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) ride the high seas aboard the trusty M/Y Navorca.
To ensure the vessel operates at optimum levels, the Grieg Shipping Group and the Grieg Foundation through WWF-Norway are funding the refitting of the M/Y Navorca. Modifications include improved propulsion systems to maximize fuel consumption and increase speed, a brand-new fiberglass coating for the vessel’s hull and upgrades for navigational, communications and safety equipment.
“These upgrades are absolutely vital in ramping-up WWF’s research and enforcement efforts for the Sulu Sea,” explains WWF-Philippines Tubbataha Reefs Project Manager Marivel Dygico. “At the center of the Sulu Sea lie the twin atolls of Tubbataha, where fish biomass breaches 200-tonnes per square kilometer. This is five times greater than the productivity of a typical healthy reef, enough to seed Eastern Palawan and the adjoining Visayan sea with fish and invertebrate spawn. It is imperative to protect and conserve Tubbataha through regular research and patrol efforts.”
Before it was declared a National Marine Park in 1988, Tubbataha’s residents have long suffered from exploitation, with generations of fishermen gathering not just fish, but turtles and bird eggs as well.
On 21 December 2006, 30 Chinese poachers on board the F/V Hoi Wan were apprehended 1.5 nautical miles from Tubbataha Reef Natural Park’s South Atoll, a national marine protected area where entry without authorized clearance is strictly prohibited. Found aboard were over 2300 high-value fish, including live Grouper, Red Snapper and 359 legally-protected Napoleon Wrasse. WWF and the Tubbataha Management Office stand ever alert to counter future incursions.
“To deal with mounting threats, we must increase our capabilities. Upgrading the M/Y Navorca is a crucial first step for us to do this,” shares Dygico.
Under the partnership, the Grieg Shipping Group and Grieg Foundation will fund the initiative via WWF-Norway, which will act as an intermediary to ensure the timely completion of the project, which will be implemented by WWF-Philippines.
Taking off from her predecessor M/Bca Minerva, M/Y Navorca provides transportation services for WWF-Philippines’ support for conservation initiatives in the Sulu Sea, particularly in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and the island municipality of Cagayancillo. The vessel is crucial in obtaining data needed to protect the Tubbataha Reefs.
Acquired in 2008, M/Y Navorca is equipped with necessary navigational and communications equipment and has been providing safe passage for research, expeditions, educational tours and rescue operations. The wooden vessel spans 80 feet and has a displacement of 70 gross tonnes. Manned by eight crewmen, the craft can accommodate up to 12 passengers in bunk-beds. Two weeks’ worth of fuel, water and food are carried aboard.
Research Work in the Coral Triangle
In 2010, M/Y Navorca was involved in eight research trips, one each for cetaceans, sharks, seabirds, fish, coral, marine turtles, Crown-of-Thorns seastars (COTs) and gastropods – covering a period of three months. Her crew installed mooring buoys and launched two expeditions and several short trips within Puerto and Honda Bays to develop a two-day, two-night live-aboard educational tour package which features dolphin watching, snorkeling and island-hopping.
M/Y Navorca is slated for similar trips in 2011. Surveys to be undertaken include climate change vulnerability assessments for both Tubbataha and Cagayancillo isles, seabird, fish, coral and COTs monitoring surveys, further installation of mooring buoys, a World Heritage Expedition (WHE) and a Puerto Princesa Adventure Expedition (PPAE).
Through the aid of the Grieg Shipping Group and Grieg Foundation, the newly-upgraded vessel will once more be ready to explore and protect the mysteries of the Sulu Sea by the summer of 2012 onwards.
“Consider that less than 5% of Philippine coral reefs are in excellent condition and that 40 million Filipinos rely on the sea for food or livelihood. Can we really afford to lose what remains? Protecting our reefs is tantamount to protecting tomorrow’s food factories,” concludes Dygico.
