As the world celebrates the International Biological Diversity Day, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) renewed its call for unified efforts towards biodiversity protection and conservation of the country’s fisheries and aquatic resources.

The Philippines, one of the megadiverse countries in the world, is home to two-thirds of the earth’s biodiversity. The country’s marine habitats contain more than 1,600 species of fish, 600 species of invertebrates, and 500 species of corals. However, the Philippines is also one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots where resources are vulnerable to man-made and natural threats.

With the theme “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity”, the celebration aims to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues and implement measures, including goals to save biodiversity and reverse the loss of nature by 2050. This is embodied in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a historic agreement signed in December 2022.