The Coast of Southwestern Bohol
Location:	9°33'-9°57'N, 123°43'-l24°03'E; the southwestern coast of Bohol Island from Tubigan to Loay, Bohol Province.
Area:	c.45 km of coastline; 12,600 ha of wetlands.
Altitude:	Sea level.
Biogeographical Province:	4.26.12.
Wetland type:	01, 02, 06, 07 & 10.
Description of site:	The coastal mangrove and sandy mudflat zone between Tubigan and Loay, including Calape Bay and Maribojoc Bay and the estuary of the Abatan River in the latter bay. The mangrove fringe varies in width and attains its greatest extent in the two sheltered bays. There are several large areas of aquaculture ponds on the landward edge of the mangroves, e.g. at the Brackishwater Aquaculture and Development Training Center (37 ha), at Bentig (50 ha) and at Barangay Lincod (54 ha). The offshore zone is dominated by a coraline reef structure. The tidal variation is 1.8m.
Climatic conditions:	Humid tropical climate with the seasons not very pronounced; relatively dry from November to April and wet for the remainder of the year (Type III). The site is partly sheltered from the northeast monsoon and trade winds and is open to the southwest monsoon and frequent cyclonic storms.
Principal vegetation:	The coastline is fringed with mangroves consisting of Avicennia officinalis, A. marina, A. alba and Sonneratia alba, with some Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucronata and Ceriops tagal. The mangroves around the fish ponds at Maribojoc Bay are dominated by S. alba, S. caeseolaris, with a scattering of A. officinalis, A. alba, and a few patches of R. mucronata and Excoecaria agallocha. There are large areas of Nypa fruzicans along all major water courses, and plantations of Cocos nucifera in adjacent areas.
Land tenure:	Most of the mangrove areas are state owned, as are the aquaculture ponds at the Brackishwater Aquaculture Development and Training Center; other aquaculture ponds and adjacent areas are under private ownership.
Conservation measures taken:	None.
Conservation measures proposed:	Howes (1987) recommends further wetland evaluation surveys to determine key sites for migratory shorebirds and Egretta spp, and to evaluate potentially suitable areas for mangrove replanting schemes.
Land use:	Fishing, largely offshore, to cater for the local and export markets via Tagbilaran and Tubigan ports. In Maribojoc Bay, large areas of Nypa fruticans are being exploited on a commercial basis. There is a considerable amount of aquaculture near Loay, Loon and Lomboy, especially for milkfish Chanos chanos and shrimps Macrobrachium sp. Salt is produced at Calape. The main forms of land use in adjacent areas are agriculture and forestry (Loboc Watershed Reforestation Project).
Possible changes in land use:
Disturbances and threats:	Major threats include the clearance of mangroves for aquaculture projects, widespread cutting of mangroves for firewood, fodder, poles and other domestic uses, excessive harvesting of Nypa fruticans, and pollution from pesticides used on adjacent agricultural land. The development of a further 41 ha of aquaculture ponds near the east bank of the Abatan River has already been approved, and would result in the loss of a large area of Nypa fruticans of considerable importance to the local communities. The over-exploitation of the offshore cockle beds and other marine resources, combined with destruction of mangroves, is likely to cause a reduction in the natural productivity of these resources with consequent adverse effects on the local economy. Deforestation in the watershed also constitutes a major threat.
Economic and social values:	A very important site for local fisheries, supporting the economy of all coastal villages in southwestern Bohol, and providing input to the fisheries export market to Cebu City and other locations within the Visayas.
Fauna:	The intertidal zone is an important feeding area for egrets (Egretta spp) and migratory shorebirds. Over 2,000 shorebirds were recorded in the Calape, Bentig and Barangay Lincod areas in September 1987, mainly Tringa totanus, Heteroscelus brevipes, Calidris ruficollis and C. ferruginea. Small numbers of Numenius madagascariensis were especially noteworthy. Other waterbirds recorded at this time included 16 Butorides striatus, 28 Egretta garzetta and 100 Dendrocygna arcuala.
Special floral values:	The area has some of the most extensive and diverse mangrove forests in the Visayas.
Research and facilities:	A wetland evaluation survey was carried out by the Asian Wetland Bureau in April and May 1987 (Howes, 1987), and Magsalay made some counts of shorebirds in September 1987.
References:	Howes (1987).
Criteria for inclusion:	lb, le, 2c, 3b.
Source:	John R. Howes and Perla M. Magsalay.