PHOTOGRAPHER | FILMMAKER
The second leg of a photo project for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - Fisheries and Aquaculture Division. On assignment for Panos Pictures UK.
Photo story covering the successful protection and management of the Aban-aban cove by the Tagbanua tribe. Aban-aban is famous for its Dugong encounters, flocked by tourists from the world over.
The success of this project was made possible mainly by the effective and continuous management and protection provided by the Tagbanua tribe of Calauit Island, whose top priority is the protection of their wards.
Bantay Dugong officers accompany each trip to the site, and encounters are limited to 15 minutes for every group of four. A safe distance of 5 meters from a Dugong must be maintained at all times, and any form of underwater lights and strobes are prohibited. An officer always keeps a close watch of tourists from the surface.