Protecting a Pacific wildlife superhighway

Creating the Philippines’ first large-scale offshore marine protected area.

The Philippine Rise is an underwater volcanic ridgeline in the western Pacific Ocean, east of Luzon in the Philippines. This underwater plateau is rich in biodiversity and marine resources, and a vital stage in the journey of migratory fish across the country’s eastern seaboard. It is also an important fishing ground for local Philippine fishers, but has come under increasing pressure from industrial and illegal fishing, as well as climate change.

We have partnered with the Philippine Government in the creation of the country’s first large-scale, offshore marine protected  area – a 150,000km² area that will boost protection for biodiversity and safeguard healthy fish stocks for the thousands of people who rely on the region for its economic and nutritional value. We will also be working to improve the management of 10,000km² of existing, locally managed protected areas in the northeastern Philippines. 

2024-25: Preparing to launch

We are working at pace towards the legal designation and launch of the Philippine Rise Ocean Conservation Area by September 2027. We have been collaborating with over 100 government stakeholders – at national, provincial and local levels – to ensure the project’s support, and we are underpinning the development and training of a new team within the government’s Bureau of Fisheries to oversee the management of the protected area. We will be working with this new team to develop monitoring and surveillance protocols to ensure the long-term success of the protected area.

We are also working with partner NGOs to undertake socio-economic surveys of the region, to understand the true value of the Philippine Rise to local communities and fisheries, and ensure the protected area addresses their needs. The FAIRER Framework will inform all interactions with these communities. 

Leaders in marine conservation

We have proven international expertise in the development and management of coastal and coral protected areas. In the Philippines, where we are a long-term partner with the government, we have restored and protected 10,000 hectares of mangroves and have helped to establish 31 marine protected areas around Panay, Cebu and Bohol – training over 10,000 conservationists and mangrove specialists to support their management. We also draw from our experience in the Indian Ocean, where we lead a programme of around 100 scientists from over 20 global institutions – supported by the Bertarelli Foundation – working to improve the effectiveness of marine conservation.

Restoring mangrove forests