The sustained campaign to collect the deadly Crown of Thorns starfish in Siit, Siaton, Negros Oriental, is expected to cause its decline in population.

A night dive Wednesday by scuba divers, and local fishermen in Siit, yielded 249 Crown of Thorns starfish.

The collection of the crown of thorns is intended to determine the extent of its infestation.

On Thursday, fishermen in Siaton, particularly those hired by Kookoos’ Nest Resort, collected 1,083 more of the starfish, most of them still in juvenile to mid-juvenile stages.

Steve de Neef, a freelance underwater photographer and diver, had initially reported having collected 12,000 of the starfish in one area of Siit.

This started government groups, resort owners, fishermen and a marine biologist to conduct a survey of the infestation.

More resort owners in Siaton have expressed willingness to participate in night dives and ocular inspections.

In small populations, the starfish plays a significant role in the marine eco-system by killing the bigger corals that override the smaller ones. However, a population loom will endanger coral reefs and bring serious devastation if not contained immediately, authorities say.*JFP

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