Bohol Sea

The Bohol Sea, locally known as the Mindanao Sea, lies between islands in the Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao, and recognized as a marine Key Biodiversity Area and major fishing ground in the Philippines. The sea has a complex combination of currents, upwellings supporting an abundance of small pelagic fish species, an marine mammals. It is known for its heritage of productive fisheries, including traditional fishery of large marine vertebrates making it as a hotspot for cetaceans and sharks, and the main fishing ground for mobulids . The Bohol Sea trade provided whale-meat to local communities and persisted until it was outlawed in 1997. The sea is a host climate resilient reefs, intact tropical islands, and numerous species of conservation importance, including marine turtles, dolphins, Blue whale, oceanic manta and whale sharks. The area is a home to more than 4.3 million people living in coastal and island settlements and supports both commercial and small-scale fisheries.