Camiguin is reviving their Mangroves

Camiguin is reviving their Mangroves around the port village of Benoni. The plan to give the shores back to nature and promote their natural protection by mangroves had gone to execution phase already last year.  

Three zones were selected to be freed from any huts, houses and waste. In these zones old mangrove trees would be cleaned and young mangroves would be planted and protected.

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The first zone is the Tanguines Lagoon south of Benoni. There nearly no cleaning action was needed because the lagoon is a fish breeding center. the two other phases are shown in the satellite photo below.

Phase-1 had already been accomplished las summer. All the huts on stilts were removed , the shore was cleaned from any waste and young mangrove trees were planted.

Phase-2 started last week. The whole village on stilts south of the port of Benoni is being demolished, removed and cleaned. The people living there are among the poorest people in Camiguin province. So, every family was given a small lot uphill and inland. They also got construction materials such as coco-lumber, plywood, metal-sheets and more.

Below you see some pictures BEFORE and DURING the renaturation action. In a year, we shall show you the progress of the mangrove trees in this area.

People often complain that local governments make a lot of noise, but do not really act. They also say that local governments start projects without any action plan and that most projects end in a disaster.
The Benoni Mangrove project of the government of Camiguin looks good. The results of Phase-1 are a success. Hundreds of mangrove seedlings have survived the first year in the sea and are now between 1 and 3 feet high over high-tide level.
It seems that the port of Benoni will slowly transform from a shanty-village to a neat tropical port on one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines. 

If you want to know more about Camiguin, have a look here