| General Information |
| Wetland Type |
Shallow sea bay, estuaries, small offshore island and
islets, intertidal mudflats and sandflats, mangrove |
| Province |
Palawan |
| Municipality |
Taytay |
| Area (has) |
30,000 |
| Coordinates |
10°43'N - 11°00'N; 119°16'E - 119°28'E |
| Other Information |
Malampaya Sound is
situated between two land masses that form a horseshoe-shaped area
characteristic of a delta type estuary. It is divided into two
sections: the outer sound the the inner sound. |
| Biological Diversity |
| Land Cover |
ERDB survey (1989), the dominant species of mangrove are:
Xylocarpus qranatum (36.6%); Brugiera gymnorhiza (29.8%);
Rhizophora apiculata (13%); Excoecaria aqallocha (1.1%);
Rhizophora mucronata (7.7%); Ceriops taqal (2.2%),
Ceriops decandra (1.2%) and Brugiera sexanqula (0.6%). Mangrove stands along the river are relatively intact and dominated by old growth although there has been some cutting, leading to an open canopy in some places. The valley of the Abongan river further inland is dominated by rice fields. Estimated 20% of the PA is old growth forest and 25.7% is residual forest.
|
| Forest Cover Type |
mangrove forest, tropical forests |
| Major Endemic |
21 endemic birds and 4 endemic mammals.
|
| Restricted Range, Endangered and Threatened Species Fauna |
Invertebrates and Fishes: Penaeid shrimps,
rabbitfish (Siganus spp) mullet (Mugil spp.), anchovies
and other fish of the families carangidae and Scombridae are common in
and around the mangrove areas.
Herpetofauna: Chelonia
mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata
Birds: Ducula aenea
palawanensis, Phoenicomalphaeus curvirostris, Polypectron emphanum,
Prioniturus platenae, Cacatua haematuropygia, Pelargopsis capensis,
Megapodius freycinet cumingii, Gracula religiosa palawanensis,
Numenius phaeopus, Haliaetus leucogaster
Terrestrial Mammals:
Macaca fascicularis, Callosciurus juvencus, Arctictis binturong,
Thecurus pumilus, Mydaus marchaei, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Felis
minuta
Marine Mammals: Tursiops
truncatus, Orcaella brevirostris, Dugong dugon |
Species Diversity |
156 fish varieties, 60 of which are considered first class and have a high commercial value |
| Ecosystem Diversity |
Shallow sea bay, Rocky sea coast, beaches, intertidal flats, mangroves |
| Socio-economic |
|
| Population |
27,828 registered park occupants growing by 4% per year
|
| Transboundary Human Activities |
One of the richest fishing grounds in the Philippines. The Sound is also the livelihood for many local communities which are increasing rapidly due to in-migration. The mangrove is used for local uses such as cutting for firewood and building.
|
| Tenure |
state owned |
| Threats |
|
| Source of Change |
Unsustainable resource use extraction: intrusion of commercial fishing, illegal fishing practices (Blastfishing
and poison fishing); over exploitation of mangrove resources,
inappropriate use of agro-chemicals in farms, logging, typhoons, solid
waste; irrigation for farming, siltation and sedimentation from erosion and quarrying
|
| Socio-economic drivers of change |
Population increase due to in-Migration |
| Policy |
|
| Development Project / Research |
Ecosystem Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) in 1989 assessed
the timber resources of the mangrove areas, while Asian Wetlands
Bureau (AWB) carried out a brief survey of the status of the mangrove.
The Sound was a recipient of the DENR-EU-NIPAP conservation program. |
| Existing status of legislations |
Commercial trawling has been banned in the
Sound. It is recommended that the inner part of the Sound be afforded
to some kind of protected status, and that absolutely no conversion of
mangroves to fishponds be allowed. The Sound was proclaimed the
Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and Seascape under the NIPAS law.
|
| Source of information |
PBCPP, Directory of Philippine
Wetlands Vol I & II, Malampaya
Sound Protected Land and Sea
Scape General Management Plan, Philippine National Reports on Wetlands |
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