The Sulu-Sulawesi marine eco-region is home to approximately one million people and provides income for over 30 million people at a greater regional level, with over one billion USD generated annually through extractive coastal fisheries. Tourism is the second largest revenue earner, particularly the ecologically-based, wildlife and seascape-dependent sectors. This marine region supports approximately 600 species of corals, over 1200 species of fish and most importantly five of the world’s seven species of sea turtles – the green, hawksbill, loggerhead, olive ridley and leatherback. Of these, the green and hawksbill turtles are by far the most abundant, with significant nesting and foraging assemblages. The region is also home to the endangered large herbivorous mammal, the dugong. The network of protected areas is situated at the western extreme of the Coral Triangle, creating suitable bio-geographical conditions within the region for maintenance and regulation of productivity in light of future impacts of climate change, making it one of the most important marine regions in the world.

Marine resources in the Sulu-Salawesi Seascape (SSS) are threatened through exhaustive fisheries, extensive and illegal unreported harvests of endangered species (including direct poaching of adults for the meat and curio trades – an alarmingly emerging trade link to China and Vietnam), habitat loss and degradation resulting from anthropogenic impacts and climate change, and coastal development. Recent estimates from Sabah alone demonstrate an annual by-catch of turtles of approximately >1000 turtles per annum. Importantly, livelihoods are threatened by decreasing returns in fisheries, impacted ecosystems and a loss of resiliency to climate change impacts.

Over the past several years concerted efforts have been made by the proposing project partners to substantially advance the conservation agenda in the SSS eco-region, resulting in the development of joint enforcement agreements and sustained monitoring and research activities. These activities have promoted cultural exchanges and capacity-building opportunities, and have introduced sustainable fishery methods in a limited geographical context. They have been supported by the Protected Areas Wildlife Bureau (DENR), WWF – Philippines, Conservation international – Philippines Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape Project, Sabah Parks, the National Plans of Action (NPOA) in the Philippines and Malaysia, and the Marine Research Foundation’s marine turtle programme, amongst others. Institutionally, regional conservation initiatives are enabled through the Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area, the Coral Triangle Initiative RPOA, the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region programme, BIMP-EAGA and the Joint Commission on Border Control. With the sheer number of people impacted by the declining environmental health and ecosystem values represented by the networked areas, the time is ripe for building on the successes of the past and promoting conservation of biological diversity through enhanced protected area networking.

There is a pressing need for support to strengthen the management capacity of local authorities and communities, and to promote the management and understanding of biological resources based on a strong foundation of science and natural history. Protecting one aspect of a resource’s life cycle only to see it depleted elsewhere is counterproductive, much like unproductive farming. Indeed, the current network of protected areas, which has been developed for the Sulu Sulawesi and endorsed by the Tri-National Committee, was entirely designed based on the natural history of its biological resources, rather than management or convenience factors.

The benefits of this project will lead to greater conservation financing, improved protection of natural resources, sustainable resource utilisation, improved community well-being through jobs creation, improved living conditions (social infrastructure) and poverty alleviation. The project aims to increase government investment in the networked protected areas, to be a showcase for effective conservation and development through non-consumptive uses, and to improve security conditions in the region. << Read less

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The greater ASEAN region is home to 20 percent of all known species of plants and animals, making it critically important to global environmental sustainability. The mountains, jungles, rivers, lakes, and seas form one of the biggest biodiversity pools in the world, and all ASEAN States are signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which calls for “a significant reduction of current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national levels as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth.” The CBD also indicates that Protected Areas (PAs) are among the “best” means to achieve the 2010 biodiversity targets and sets a target for comprehensive, effectively managed, and ecologically representative national and regional systems of protected areas that collectively, through a global network, contribute to achieving the global targets. This project supports this initiative directly. It addresses seagrass beds, coral reefs, mangroves and other marine ecosystems in support of this diverse habitat approach.

The network of sites prioritised herein is identified in the Malaysia and Philippines Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) NPOAs and the CTI RPOA. The Sulu Sulawesi Seascape was also prioritised as the primary seascape in need of conservation action under the CTI RPOA. Coral reefs, marine turtles and dugongs are addressed specifically in each of these NPOAs and regionally through the RPOA under Categories 1 and 5.

Activities described by this proposal are based in large part on the outcomes of several workshops, including the “Regional Workshop on Gap Analyses for Marine and Terrestrial Protected Areas in the ASEAN Region” held from 28 September to 2 October 2009 in Indonesia, and the findings of the multi-stakeholder meeting on an intergovernmental science policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services, convened in Putrajaya, Malaysia, from 10 to 12 November 2008. << Read less

In addition to the secured funding mentioned above, this project complements the (approved and started) UNDP/GEF Sulu-Celebes Sea (SCS) Sustainable Fisheries Management Project between the Governments of Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. The Sulu-Celebes Sea Sustainable Fisheries Management Project aims at developing economically and ecologically sustainable marine fisheries in the SCS, to benefit communities who are dependent on these resources for livelihood. The global community will benefit as well in light of the conservation of highly diverse marine ecosystems and its ecosystems services by improving the conditions of fisheries and their habitats in the SCS through an integrated, collaborative and participatory management at the local, national and tri-national levels.

Sabah Parks and DENR-PAWB are government agencies with longstanding funding commitments by Malaysia and Philippines governments respectively. CI-Philippines has secured funding for a limited regional involvement through the Walton Foundation and through core funds, while MRF contributes expertise and resources on an in-kind basis. It is envisioned that the activities of this project will develop partnerships and funding strategies, ensuring financial sustainability and ecosystem resilience of the protected areas, reducing the negative impacts of climate change, unsustainable resource use and habitat degradation. << Read less

Not all protected areas within the Network have indigenous / local communities. Only the Turtle Islands Wildlife Refuge and the El Nido Tay-Tay Protected Area have local communities, which participate in the decision-making. The Tun Sakaran Marine Park in Malaysia has a local community, but management is mostly government-led. Elsewhere in Malaysia the protected areas are completely government driven. This project will adhere to provincial and municipal governance schemes in the Philippines, and include local communities in the planning and implementation of individual project components, as well as benefit-sharing. These may include participation in public-private tourism initiatives, resource access, alternative livelihood schemes and sustainable fisheries. << Read less

This project supports the Vision and Policy of Malaysia’s NBSAB through conserving biological diversity and ensuring that its components are utilised in a sustainable manner for the continued progress and socio-economic development of the Nation. More specifically the project addresses Objective 1 (optimising economic benefits through sustainable utilisation of biodiversity), Objective 3 (ensuring environmental stability and proper functioning of ecosystems), Objective 4 (preservation of environmental heritage) and Objective 5 (enhancing scientific and technical knowledge).

Similarly, it reflects key strategies of the Philippines NBSAP, particularly Strategy I (expanding and improving knowledge on the characteristics, uses, and values of biological diversity), Strategy II (enhancing and integrating existing and planned biodiversity conservation efforts), Strategy IV (strengthening capacities for integrating and institutionalizing biodiversity conservation and management,, Strategy V (mobilising and integrated information, education and communication), and Strategy VI (advocating stronger international cooperation). << Read less

Goal 1.1: To establish and strengthen national and regional systems of protected areas integrated into a global network as a contribution to globally agreed goals
Goal 1.2: To integrate protected areas into broader land- and seascapes and sectors so as to maintain ecological structure and function
Goal 1.3: To establish and strengthen regional networks, transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) and collaboration between neighbouring protected areas across national boundaries
Goal 1.4: To substantially improve site-based protected area planning and management
Goal 1.5: To prevent and mitigate the negative impacts of key threats to protected areas
Goal 2.1: To promote equity and benefit-sharing
Goal 2.2: To enhance and secure involvement of indigenous and local communities and relevant stakeholders
Goal 3.1: To provide an enabling policy, institutional and socio-economic environment for protected areas
Goal 3.2: To build capacity for the planning, establishment and management of protected areas
Goal 3.4: To ensure financial sustainability of protected areas and national and regional systems of protected areas
Goal 3.5: To strengthen communication, education and public awareness
Goal 4.1 - To develop and adopt minimum standards and best practices for national and regional protected area systems
Goal 4.3: To assess and monitor protected area status and trends
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