Bantay Dagat Outpost
From Peace Corps Wiki
Info about the Bantay Dagat Outpost
The Fisherman Association - Kapunungan sa Gagmay Mananagat sa Masaplod Sur (KAGAMMAS) - was organized through community consultation in May 2000, to initiate a community-base, income generating project. It is officially registered under the Dept. of Labor and Employment (DOLE). KAGAMMAS is also responsible for addressing the protection and conservation of fishery and aquatic resources and the Marine Protected Area (MPA). The MPA is managed by the KAGAMMAS; and maintenance of the MPA is one of the association's main priorities. After three years of protecting the area, the community has expressed a dire need to construct a Bantay Dagat Outpost. With the establishment of the Bantay Dagat there would be an established sense of control and order of the MPA. This in turn would regulate illegal fishing and diving; ultimately improving the MPA and helping the KAGAMMAS meet its oversight responsibilities. There are five MPAs in Dauin that attract tourists from all over the world. A well-managed MPA would increase the potential for frequent visitors as well as the fish catch. In order to initiate a well-managed MPA a coral reef and fish catch monitoring system was established by the Environmental and Natural Resources Division Office of the Provencial Governor of Negros Oriental. The fisherman of the KAGAMMAS Association request financial assistance to begin construction of the Bantay Dagat Outpost. This requires the purchase of steel bars, lumber, cement bags, nails and other materials.