A family can be a strong advocate of resource protection. This is the case of a family of fishers in Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines where the family, through the leadership of the father, took it upon themselves to protect a small patch of coral reef in front of their house. The area was once destroyed by the rampant illegal fishing activities in the area.
After more than a decade of successfully keeping the reef from harmful practices, the coral reef bounced back to life. The coral reef served as nursery and refuge area of fishes, and the coral colonies therein grew back and were revived. This attracted a lot of tourists that made the place all the more important to preserve.
Now, the reef is threatened with plans for development, and the future appears to be favoring the businessmen than the local folks who took the initiative to conserve a dwindling resource. More on this family's struggle on Family Protected Reef: A Unique Case of Natural Resource Conservation.
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