Manila – 20 January.
Coral Triangle Business Summit.
Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) is all about marine life, coral, fishes, as well as about people – the coastal communities within the CTI region and the consumers (within and beyond the CTI boundaries).

CTI is a grouping of six countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste [arranged alphabetically as per the ASEAN practice]).

On paper, the CTI was started by SBY, the Indonesia President, but the real initiators and movers behind the scene are a consortium of three Non-Government Organizations (NGO), sometimes mockingly called BINGO (Big International NGO).
The 3 are: WWF, Conservation International (CI), and TNC (The Nature Conservancy. Yes, I am also asking why they put the T in the acronym).

The idea is very good, but the implementation can and has been problematic.
First, there is the disparity between the 6 nations.
The gap is very wide. No need to elaborate.
Secondly, there’s problem with distribution of funding.
Locals people and local NGOs are unhappy that the funding goes mainly to the 3 BINGOs and does not get to the ground.
Local NGOs and local communities in Indonesia and Philippines are demonstrating (at Manado in 2009 and in manila in Jan 2010).
Let wait and see how things develop.

I have another passing thought.
They/we are worried about the depleting fish stock/population.
Have we forgotten that fishing is a kind of hunting wild animals?
Since when is hunting for livelihood/food/total dependence sustainable?
Eventually, we will need to rear all the fishes for food.
Just as hunting wild cattle/dodo/games for food/livelihood were never going to be sustainable. WE need to wake up to the fact.
In say, 50 years time, all the fish on the dinner table of our children will be reared, not hunted wild…