Friday, May 25, 2012

Bamboo Shark Release - Back To The Wild Program of Manila Ocean Park


On the last weekend of May 2012 before we cap this year's summer activity, we went to CAP-Oceans to witness the first-ever bamboo shark release Back to the Wild Program of Manila Ocean Parks. These sharks were bred in captivity inside the oceanarium. With the support of different environmentalist and conservationist, everyone is gathered here today to witness this "oceanic" event.

Back to the Wild Registration


Below is the company's official statement about the Back to the Wild Program.

Manila Ocean Park, the country’s first world-class and largest aquarium facility and integrated resort destination has recently launched its corporate social responsibility banner program, “I Love My Ocean”. It is a nationwide campaign that encourages volunteerism, public education and community mobilization activities designed to increase public awareness and action on coastal management issues and instill pride in our country’s natural resources.

Manila Ocean Park through “I Love My Ocean” showcases marine biodiversity from within and around the waters of the Philippines, and it seeks to highlight the little-known fact that the Philippine archipelago is located in the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, the Coral Triangle. As such, it takes every occasion to disseminate powerful messages on protecting and conserving this rich marine heritage that our country has been blessed with.

Back to the Wild
This May 2012, MOP highlights its newest conservation program called “Back to the Wild”. Manila Ocean Park seeks to integrate sustainability factors in its initiatives, namely through its information, education and communications campaign, science research projects, resource management programs and day-to-day operations. These are meant to facilitate one of its objectives: to give back to the marine habitats where most of the oceanarium’s specimens originally come from. There will be a series of specimen release, starting with bamboo sharks. The program will release 20-30 juvenile sharks into select marine protected areas or MPAs, with the first release slated to occur on May 26, 2012. Some of the sharks will be released in shallow waters by snorkelers; the rest will be released in deeper waters by divers.

Manila Ocean Park hopes to focus on positive news regarding sharks. These species have been subject to various misconceptions, negative publicity and cruel acts. The sad fact is that humans are the biggest threat to their survival, largely due to shark finning and overfishing. 


Partner Organizations & LGUs
Manila Ocean Park has chosen to partner with Conserve and Protect Oceans (CAP-Oceans), a non-stock, non-profit organization aimed at building a strong multi-sectoral advocacy for the conservation and protection of the sea and its rich natural resources. Its program is geared towars the services of encouraging community stakeholders in different environmental management activities and it is established by a group of divers.

Aside from CAP-Oceans, other organizations who are part of Back to the Wild program include Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI and the local government unit of Calatagan together with its youth leaders.

Manila Ocean Park is fully aware of its obligation to reach a broad public and impart necessary information relevant to current environmental issues. It is our aim that the “Back to the Wild” Release program will be a step in the right direction for marine education and conservation. We hope that more people will do their share in ensuring that future generations will be able to enjoy and see these fascinating animals in their natural habitat. 

As I'm typing these, there is already a long queue of people who are gathered here at CAPOceans to be part of this bamboo shark release program. The schedule of the Back to the Wild Program is as follows:

7 to 7:30 - Registration of Participants

730 to 8:00 - Talk: How to Rescue Stranded Sharks by BFAR-NFRDI

8:00 to 9:00 - Back to the Wild Program Proper
      a. Opening Prayer
      b. Philippine National Anthem
      c. Welcome Remarks by Barangay Bagong Silang, Calatagan Captain Joel Rico 
      d. Acknowledgement of VVIPs, special guests, partners, participants
  e. Introduction of the Back to the Wild Program by Ms. Leanna Manubag (Assistant Curator/Senior Marine Biologist, Manila Ocean Park)
     f. Messages:
        * Ms. Armi Cortes, VP Sales & Marketing
        * Dr. Benjamin Vallejo, Science Consultant
        * Jessie delos Reyes, Project Coordinator CAP-Oceans
        * Hon. Lenie Pantoja, Vice Mayor, Municipality of Calatagan
        * Hon. Sophia Palacio, M.D. Municipal of Mayor Calatagan, Batangas
        *  Dir. Melchor Tayamen, Director, BFAR-NFRDI

     g. Keynote speaker: Hon. Mark Leviste, Vice Governor, Batangas Province
   h. Orientation on the proper way of handling & Releasing the sharks by Jappy Lim (Program Development Specialist, Manila Ocean Park)
    i. Signing of Memorandum

9:00 to 10:30 Bamboo Shark Release

10:30 Closing Remarks


22 comments:

  1. This is a great program by Manila Ocean Park.

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  2. ang ganda ng ganito.. sana pala nakapunta ako..

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  3. It's a very useful and helpful project by the Manila Ocean Park... And it's Nice that a lot og NGO's participating.

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  4. oh yeah i remember reading the same topic. well, there's no place like home. back to the wild. back to their real homes.

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  5. Would love to attend something like this to. It's so good that we're trying to help nature bring back it's natural treasures.

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  6. it's nice to know that manila ocean park breeds their animals and set some of them off to their habitat eventually.

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  7. Manila Ocean Park
    is not only an educational
    place to visit but the home of
    several aquatic animals.
    It's good to hear that people are
    concerned with the protection
    and conservation of the sea and
    its inhabitants.

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  8. This is indeed a good news and hopefully humans must be careful with their actions.

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  9. Kudos! Along with such responsibility should come the people's awareness that marine life should also be cared for...

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  10. very nice indeed! becasue people should also be aware that these creatures are not only to be viewed and appreciated at but they have to live in their natural environment.

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  11. I so love this place and I am very eager to visit this very soon hopefully

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  12. what a great way to bring the shark back to where they belong :-)

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  13. I'm glad that a great cause like this has been created. We know these sharks to be 'predators'. But it is us humans too who also prey on them.

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  14. That's a good program! We need to conserve marine life. We are much evil predators than sharks are.

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  15. Nice Program from Manila Ocean Park...:)

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  16. this is indeed a very nice program to attend to xx

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  17. Impressive naman ng Manila Ocean Park. It's not only a commercial park, but they're actually saving lives of aquatic animals as well. More power!

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  18. I was there just last Saturday..
    Manila Ocean Park has grown since I last went there..
    I toured my vacationing siblings.
    They found it funny really, since we came from Roxas City, the seafoods capital, they thought it odd that the fishes they normally see being sold in the wet market is kept in big aquarium, and yes, even the bamboo sharks, the white tip, the black tip, the juveniles can be sold.
    But guess it was a good learning experience for them, knowing that consevation is being done to these species.

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  19. Good thing MOP has events like these which promotes preservation of life. ^_^

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  20. Never been to ocean park and by reading your post, mukhang magandang project ito. Sana it will be successful.

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  21. I think it's important that we return animals to their natural habitat. Good move for them. :)

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