COTS Outbreak Can Be Neutralized By Monitoring/Extraction Of The COTS Population

April 18,2012

COTS Outbreak Can Be Neutralized By Continual Monitoring/Extraction Of Its Population- BFAR Staff by Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS) outbreak affecting some areas in Southern Leyte and one in the neighboring municipality of Inopacan,in the northern part of Leyte province, can be neutralized by continuous monitoring and regular extraction of the marine’s pests that devour coral reefs.

This was the statement of Anecito G. Cortes of BFAR-Maasin office in a recent interview. The four places where the outbreaks have occurred were Maasin, Padre Burgos, Limasawa Island and Tomas Oppus.

Cortes disclosed that Limasawa’s surrounding seas have the biggest sizes of COTS that settled 15 to 18 meters deep. It devoured mushrooms and table corals underneath on big volumes. “Coral reef eaten by the crown-of-thorns starfishes appeared white”. he said. “The huge sizes of COTS has make us believed that Limasawa Island is the breeding place for COTS”.

He confided that during monitoring and extraction of COTS in Padre Burgos and Limasawa resorts divers of the area including the Coral Cay volunteer divers have assisted BFAR personnel.

The gathering/harvesting of COTS in the island municipality, he divulged, exceeded in great number compared to Maasin’s 30,000 during a whole day synchronized monitoring in all barangays of the city.

The municipalities of Macrohon and Malitbog showed that theses towns were also COTS-infested. The Sogod Bay municipalities that were monitored, Cortes said, were Bontoc, Sogod and Libagon, which were classified as non-infested areas where COTS presence were almost nil.

Monthly Monitoring

Reina C. Lagumbay of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office conveyed that LGUs monitoring of their fish sanctuaries including nearby coral reefs were conducted every three months.

However, the BFAR staff here stressed that quarterly monitoring is not ideal in areas that are prone to COTS infestation. “Monthly monitoring of the marine pests is ideal to check in particular the COTS population”, he said.

His statement was likewise supported by a Southern Leyteño diver who has had dived various fish sanctuaries of the province, but does not want to be identified.

The aforesaid diver pointed out that PENRMO officer Eva Abad should hire/employ a trained provincial diver who would assist or lead LGU municipalities where there are existing fish sanctuaries and coral reefs on its scheduled monthly monitoring.

On the other hand, Lagumbay informed that 20 COTS occupying in a one-hectare coral reefs are needed to balance the marine life. “Diminishing the count of 20 by extraction is not advisable. It will create an imbalance in the marine area”, she said.

The BFAR staff further said that they have admonished LGU-Limasawa to upload their COTS photos in the internet and ask for financial assistant to fund their continuous monitoring and extraction of the COTS population until such time that the marine pests will be neutralized.

Or they can also ask trained divers in the neighboring provinces of Cebu,Bohol and part of Mindanao to volunteer in the monitoring and extraction of COTS.

COTS predators, in particular the Titan Triggerfish and Pacific Triton are now considered as endangered species due to overfishing, Cortes claimed. “This fishes eat big and matured COTS”, he intimated. “But they are being exported live to other countries”. Other specie is the Giant Clam (taklobo) that also devour big COTS..

In gathering/harvesting the Crown-of-Thorns Starfishes (COTS) fishermen and volunteer divers are advised not to catch the marine pests by the hands. The high percentage of being pricked by its poisonous spikes is painfully infectious.

For picking use bamboo sticks or metal thongs and put it inside the crates for bringing it towards the shore. Apply the suitable chemical to kill them before burying it.

Other COTS predators that eat either its eggs,finderlings,young or adult COTS are harlequin shrimps, puffer fishes(Botete),red and spangled Emperor(Katambak),coral-like polyp/worm(botbot),trapezia(a kind of crabs),helmet shells(budyong) and Triton Trumpet(tambuli).

Cortes further informed that the Panaon Island municipalities and that of the Pacific towns shall also be subjected to undersea ocular inspection by the BFAR divers and local divers of their respective coral reefs and fish sanctuaries to see if their municipal waters were safe from the COTS infestation.

On the other hand, the ample breeding and propagation of the three principal COTS predators, the Titan Triggerfish, Pacific Triton and Giant Clam in different municipal seawaters of the province will obviously prevent COTS infestation or its outbreak.

It’s also recommended by the marine biologists not to injure the COTS, as it will lay millions of eggs under stress condition.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)