Local Literature Essay

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Local Literature In an article of The Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest entitled: “Why Protect Mangroves”, the total mangrove area in the Philippines has decreased from an estimated coverage of 450,000 ha in 1918 to less than 120,000 ha in the late 1990’s, this rapid decrease in mangrove coverage occurred during the 1960’s and 1970’s when national policies encouraged the expansion of aquaculture. It is evaluated that the estimation of a complete mangrove biological system ranges from US$500 to US$1,550 per hectare every year (Dixon, 1989) or at US$150 to 1396/ha/ yr (White and Trinidad 1998). Today, fishponds cover about 289,000 ha, most of which were formerly mangroves. For the period 1967-1968, the average rate of decline was about 8,000 ha annually (DENR, 2001). Primavera (2006) reported that the main source of mangrove degradation is the transformation to shrimp and fish aquaculture in which waterfront mangrove backwoods are cleared for lakes, seeded with shrimp larvae and/or juvenile fish, and provided with fish meal feed in order to grow shrimp and fish…show more content…
In a literature entitled “The Values of Mangroves” are recognized as "tangible" and "intangible" benefits. Mangroves provide nursery grounds for fish, prawns and crabs, and support fisheries production in coastal waters. Almost every living thing needs a safe haven when it is young, small and fragile. Mangroves are good nurseries because they provide hiding places for young animals. The arched-shaped roots of the bakawan mangroves and the finger-like roots of the api-api and piapi mangroves are good examples. This protection, along with the abundant food supply that comes from mangrove
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