| General Information |
| Wetland Type |
Shallow sea bay, rocky seacoast, beaches, intertidal flats, mangroves, coastal lagoons
and marshes |
| Province |
Batangas |
| Estimated Area (has) |
75,000 |
| Location |
13°49-13°50'N,
120° 37' -120 °38'E |
| Biological Diversity |
| Species Diversity |
Mangrove forests are dominated by Avicennia
marina, Rhizophora mucronata and Sonneratia alba. Beds of seagrasses
and algae are also found. Fish:
Chanos chanos
Birds: Limnodromus semipalmatus, Tringa totanus, Actitis hypoleucos,
Heteroscelus brevipes, Charadius alexandrinus, C. dubius, C. mongolus,
Pluvialis fulva, Calidris ruficollis, Xenus cinereus, Numenius arquata |
| Migratory Pathway |
Sightings of humpback whales; Balayan Bay and Calatagan
Peninsula are important for migratory shorebirds. |
| Socio-Economic |
| Human Activities / Livelihood |
Tourism (w/ beach and diving resorts); 30% of the
population are fishermen and shrimp gatherers. Aquaculture (both fish
and shrimp) and commercial farming of seaweed are also important.
Cattle raising and the cultivation of rice, corn and coconuts are
carried out in adjacent areas. |
| Tenure |
The Bay is state-owned while the Calatagan coastal wetlands are
privately owned. |
| Threats |
| External Source of Change |
The clearing of mangroves to make room for aquaculture ponds and
the cutting of mangroves for firewood continues. A geothermal plant
has been constructed in the Municipality of Balayan and its waste is
dumped into Balayan Bay. |
| Interventions |
| Conservation Status |
No protected areas have been established but a private land-owner
has taken measures to protect the mangroves fringing his property in
Balayan Bay, and some efforts had been made to improve environmental
awareness among local residents. There is now a Bay-wide alliance of
local government units working together. |
| Development Project / Research |
The area was used as a major bird-banding site by the MAPS Program
in 1972, and in recent years, the Forest Research Institute (now
Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau) and Asian Wetland Bureau
have carried out studies on the migratory shorebirds.
|
| Source of Information |
Directory of Philippine Wetlands Vol I & II, PBCPP, WWF,
Philippine National Reports on Wetlands |
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