Researchers from Department of Agriculture’s National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) and Silliman University’s Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences participated in an Irrawaddy dolphin population assessment boat survey conducted in Malampaya Sound, Palawan on 1 to 5 June 2026.

The survey, part of the Philippine Aquatic Red List Committee Project, was organized by the Protected Area Management Office of the Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and Seascape (PAMO-MSPLS) and Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines (MWWP) with funding by the Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), one of the Razon Group’s CSR units.

PARLC is the official body tasked with developing criteria to determine the conservation status of threatened aquatic wildlife in the Philippines.

PAMO-MSPLS, based in Barangay New Guinlo, Taytay, Palawan, is under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and protects a massive 200,115-hectare site. MWWP is a non-profit, non-stock conservation organization focusing on endangered, threatened and protected marine wildlife, such as dolphins, whales, dugong, sharks, rays and sea turtles.

The survey supports ongoing conservation initiatives for the remaining population of Irrawaddy dolphins in Malampaya Sound, one of the country’s most important habitats for this critically endangered marine mammal.

During a five-day period, the researchers recorded several sightings of Irrawaddy dolphins, generating valuable information on their occurrence and distribution within the protected area. The activity also provided the NFRDI project staff with hands-on training in boat-based survey techniques, marine mammal observation and identification, environmental data collection, and field documentation.

Participation in the survey likewise served as a preparatory activity for NFRDI’s upcoming project, “Assessment of Entanglement and Bycatch Risks of Marine Mammals in Blue Swimming Crab Fishing Gears.” The project aims to conduct systematic surveys and monitoring activities to document marine mammal occurrence, identify potential interaction hotspots with blue swimming crab fisheries, and generate baseline data needed to assess bycatch and entanglement risks.