Project Seahorse International is considered the world's foremost authority on the Syngnathidae fish family, which includes 300 species of seahorses, pipefishes, seadragons and pipehorses. Collaborating with stakeholders and partners, Project Seahorse International works worldwide to find conservation solutions using the charismatic seahorse as a flagship species. This group is active in a variety of conservation initiatives including managing small-scale fisheries, sustaining marine reserves and advising on the sustainable trade of seahorses and their relatives.
 
The Shedd team also met with staff from the Project Seahorse Foundation for Marine Conservation. Focusing its efforts on the Danajon Bank region, the Project Seahorse Foundation was established to oversee conservation operations in the Philippines. The foundation is responsible for encouraging sustainable practices among fishing communities, studying the socioeconomic dimensions of marine conservation, and establishing and managing marine protected areas (MPAs).

The Danajon Bank is one of only six double barrier reef systems in the world, and its corals and sea grasses are prime habitat for seahorses and related species. Fishing, for the table and for market, is the primary livelihood of the local people.

To date, Project Seahorse has helped to establish 33 MPAs in the Danajon Bank region. This trip was our opportunity to learn more about them. We set off on a Filipino outrigger called a banca to visit each site. Project Seahorse’s staff members wanted to show us MPAs in different stages of recovery, so we visited the oldest site, the newest site and several intermediate sites. While snorkeling, we directly observed the devastating effect of dynamite fishing and other harmful fishing practices. At the same time, we were encouraged by nature’s capacity for recovery.

Project Seahorse plays a major part in initiating the MPAs, but the desire for protection must be community-led. For an MPA to be successful, community members must enforce restrictions to prevent poaching. A key MPA component is a guard tower built on the water, which is managed by the local people.

Communities all over the region are hearing about the successes of MPAs and are eager to establish them in their own areas.

Posted by Nicole Pierson, conservation