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Site description (2001 baseline):

Olango is a low lying island off the east coast of Mactan Island (PH070). It lies between Cebu and Bohol Islands, 4 km east of Mactan and 15 km east of Cebu City. It is relatively accessible as it is close to Cebu Mactan International Airport. The main habitats include extensive intertidal coralline sand flats and mudflats, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds and coral reefs (note that the area given above includes about 2,900 ha of intertidal flats). There are coconut plantations and a few small areas of agricultural crops in the interior of the island, and the waters around the island support an important fishery. Olango Island is popular with visiting birdwatchers.

Olango Island is one of the most important staging areas for migratory shorebirds in the central Philippines. Over 10,000 shorebirds have been recorded at one time in the 1980’s, and the total number using the site may be as many as 50,000. These include significant numbers of Asian Dowitcher, for which Olango is the most important site known in the Philippines, and the numbers of several other waterbird species, including Eurasian Curlew and Far Eastern Curlew, are probably of international importance. Olango is notable for the concentrations of the threatened Chinese Egret and Philippine Duck that occur there.

Olango is a low lying island off the east coast of Mactan Island (PH070). It lies between Cebu and Bohol Islands, 4 km east of Mactan and 15 km east of Cebu City. It is relatively accessible as it is close to Cebu Mactan International Airport. The main habitats include extensive intertidal coralline sand flats and mudflats, mangrove swamps, seagrass beds and coral reefs (note that the area given above includes about 2,900 ha of intertidal flats). There are coconut plantations and a few small areas of agricultural crops in the interior of the island, and the waters around the island support an important fishery. Olango Island is popular with visiting birdwatchers.

Olango has a small resident population mostly of fishermen, who depend totally on the coastal resources for their livelihood. Gleaning of the flats for sea urchins and commercial shells (in high demand as Cebu is a major tourist destination) and fishing are most important. However, there is extremely heavy pressure on the coastal resources, with serious over-exploitation. Coral gathering for export is carried out despite being illegal, with offshore dynamite and cyanide fishing. Utilisation of mangroves for firewood is carried out, and they are cut indiscriminately for domestic use. Most of the mangrove trees are low growing and scrubby due to continuous cutting for firewood. Some areas have already been replanted with mangroves, and there are government schemes for further replanting. The main threat to the waterbird populations is heavy hunting pressure from organised groups of hunters from Cebu and Mandaue cities. These hunters specialise in shorebirds, particularly the larger species.

Surveys were carried out by the Asian Wetland Bureau (Philippines) between August and November 1987 and in early 1988. The University of San Carlos maintains research facilities on the nearby island of Mactan. Since 1992 the Wild Bird Society of Japan (WBSJ) has been collaborating with the DENR at this IBA on survey and management work, and has aided the Save Nature Society (an NGO on Cebu) to produce educational material. A Management Plan has been prepared for the sanctuary, and a Protected Area Management Board is being organised for the site, with the assistance of the Environment Agency of Japan through WBSJ.

This IBA includes Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary (920 ha), which was declared by Proclamation No. 903 on 14 May 1992.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Olango Island (Philippines). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/olango-island-iba-philippines on 22/11/2024.