Sustainable Marine Tourism in The Coral Triangle Marine Protected Areas System

CT6 MPA Focal Points, RS and MPA Coordinator taken during the Press Conference

The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Marine Protected Area Technical Working Group (MPA-TWG) conducted the sixth MPA Regional Exchange on September 12-16, 2016 in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines. The theme of the workshop was focused on “Sustainable Marine Tourism in the CTI-CFF Marine Protected Areas System”. The Workshop was hosted by the Philippine National CTI-CFF Coordinating Committee (NCC) with funding support from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR, Philippines), CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat, GIZ and ADB RETA 7813, with technical support from the Coral Triangle Center (CTC), World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US) (NOAA) and Sustainable Ecosystems Advanced (SEA-Project).  

It was attended by around seventy six participants coming from the six CTI-CFF member countries (CT6), namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, including local government leaders from Siargao Island and Turtle Islands, Philippines, and from Raja Ampat, Indonesia, as well as the resource persons, observers and representatives from development partners.

Group photo for the Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape study tour

The overall objective of the 5-day workshop was to introduce sustainable marine tourism in the Coral Triangle Region with the following specific objectives:

1. To review the progress on the implementation of the Coral Triangle Marine Protected Area System Framework (CTMPAS nomination process, CT Atlas Training, Recognition of CTMPAS Sites);
2. To review the implementation of the CT6 roadmap prepared in the previous Marine Protected Area Regional Exchange  (MPA Rex 5);
3. To review the status of  MPA Management Effectiveness Assessment Tools in the CT6;
4. To share concepts, knowledge and practices on Sustainable Tourism in MPAs that contribute to and build on the Coral Triangle MPA System;
5. To review the draft  Terms of Reference  of the CTI-CFF Marine Tourism Task Force;
6. To conduct a study tour to an  MPA learning site on sustainable tourism  in the Philippines; and
7. Develop the Agenda for the 6^th MPA Technical Working Group (MPA TWG) Meeting.

Generally, the workshop provided an opportunity for the participants to share their experiences on various aspects of MPA management and best practices on sustainable marine tourism through  breakout group activities, open forum, plenary discussions, and a study tour at the nearby Dauin Network of MPAs and Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape. The study tour also provided the participants an opportunity to observe and interact with the communities to be able to gather information regarding successes, challenges and recommendations on sustainable marine tourism programs of the two learning sites, of which one is locally managed while the Apo Island PLS is under the national government. 

The Result of the Workshop Include:

1. Progress on the implementation of CT6 MPA roadmaps;
2. Learnings on sustainable marine tourism;
3. Updates on the result of the 1^st and 2^nd round of CTMPAS site nominations;
4. Learnings on best practices from other countries  on  CTMPAS site selection and nomination;
5. Road maps both in-country and regional for the 3^rd round of CTMPAS nomination;
6. CT6 focal points for the CT Atlas were designated and trained to update the CT Atlas MPA database;
7. Priority activities for  MPA management effectiveness monitoring;
8. Updates on various MPA monitoring and evaluation tools developed and implemented in the CT region;
9. Revised  draft terms of reference of the Marine Tourism Task Force and their priority activities;
10. Priority activities for the capacity needs on sustainable tourism;
11. Short and long term sustainable tourism targets;
12. Learnings on the concept of new CoralCloud platform on project preparation and financing mechanism;
13. Provisional Agenda for the 6^th MPA TWG Meeting; and
14. Built/strengthened regional camaraderie among LGUs, MPA managers, NCC members, tourism enthusiasts, Regional Secretariat and Technical Advisers/Resource Persons.

The Major Recommendations Developed in the Workshop Include: 

1. Countries to continue to work hard for the implementation of the MPA roadmaps  prepared during the  5^th  and 6^th CTI-CFF MPA REX;
2. Participants to present their country roadmaps for the 3^rd round of CTMPAS site selection and nomination in 2017 to their respective NCCs for adoption and timely implementation;
3. Implementation of the 3^rd round of CTMPAS site selection and nomination;
4. Nomination for CTMPAS sites should be streamed down to the site level;
5. The MPA TWG to prepare a program for recognition of CTMPAS sites  subject to the time and venue that will be agreed upon for implementation;
6. Countries through their  CT Atlas Focal Points  to continue to update the CT Atlas MPA database;
7. Countries to continue to develop, implement and refine the MPA monitoring and evaluation  tools;
8. Encourage the partners for the continued  support for the MPA Coordinator;
9. Apply/adopt  the  various concepts and  learnings  on sustainable marine tourism programs in the CT region;
10. Continue to support the Sustainable Marine Tourism Task Force; and  
11. Raja Ampat as the possible venue for the succeeding MPA REX as offered by the Vice Mayor of Raja Ampat, Indonesia.