Philippine bird sanctuary under threat
| FEATURE |
 |
A plan to reclaim land on Manila Bay is ruffling feathers, with conservationists warning the project would destroy one of the Philippine capital’s last nature reserves and bird sanctuaries.
Salt marshes, tidal areas and three mangrove-clad islands that make up the 175-hectare zone are a home or a resting spot for dozens of bird species, including the globally-threatened Philippine duck and Chinese egret.
In a sprawling megacity of more than 12 million people that has seen decades of chaotic development, the area known as Coastal Lagoons is vital because there are so few other bird habitats left, environmentalists say.
“It is the last coastal frontier in Metropolitan Manila, the last of its kind,” said Rey Aguinaldo, a US-trained biologist who manages the Coastal Lagoons for the environment ministry..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110524com6.html
0 comments
Post a Comment