The Ocean Watchers of the Philippines

Coming soon … a documentary I had in mind for a while … I hope I can make things concrete in the coming months. Here is the story:

Marine conservation in the Philippines is no easy task. Illegal fishing, dwindling fish stocks, and climate change deplete marine resources. It takes motivation and grit to police a marine protected area, where marine ecosystems are protected from human intervention, when lots of your neighbors are looking for new fishing spots.

The documentary I intend to shoot in early 2025 talks to the men and women of the bantay dagat (“Ocean watchers”) in Dauin on Negros Island in the Philippines who take on this tricky task. Hands-on environmentalism in the Global South at its finest!

The documentary will contrast the workings of the bantay dagat on land with the results of marine conservation underwater – healthy ecosystems and fish unafraid of divers, not assuming they are spearfishers. The images will switch back and forth between interviews and enthralling underwater footage.

Let me just show you two of my previous videos which are relevant for this new project, What is the positive effect of a no-take marine protected area? Look at the fish density of the one in Apo Island, which is also a part of Dauin:

… and this video gives you an idea how I transport ideas in science communication. Important ideas! I use humor, an under-appreciated tool in communication these days: