Shark tourism requires a sustainable model to be incorporated in Tan-awan, Oslob in Cebu as it is leading to the deprivation of the local coral reef ecosystem, a joint research by the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the University of Guam (UoG) and the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippinesv (LAMAVE) said.
“The data presented in the paper shows that in comparison to a reference site further south the coast, Tan-awan is affected by greater impacts of degradation as indicated by higher macroalgae and lower coral density as well as a less diverse coral community dominated by weedy corals (Pocillopora) and stress-tolerant (Porites) corals,” LAMAVE said.
The Coral Biogeochemistry Lab in the School of Biological Sciences at HKU, one of Asia’s leading institutions conducted a research expedition to Oslob in 2015 in partnership with the UoG, LAMAVE and the local government unit of Oslob.
The study said Tan-awan has turned out to be a domestic and international tourism hotspot since 2011, drawing more than 300,000 visitors in 2015 and has doubled since then, majorly fueled by the year-round whale shark presence along the local shallow reef.
“This unusual aggregation is maintained by the local tourism association provisioning (feeding) the whale sharks with up to 50 tons of uyap (sergestid) shrimps annually,” LAMAVE said.
