Apo Reef in 1980. This was followed with the local government of Sablayan declaring the reef a special "Tourism Zone and Marine Reserve" three years later. In 1996, the entire reef was declared a protected natural park by then-president Fidel Ramos. In 2006, the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources submitted the reef to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for consideration as a World Heritage Site. Following a survey by the local chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature, fishing within the reef was banned by the Philippine government in September 2007. The
Apo Reef facilities are available onshore to protect the island's fragile ecosystem. Apo Menor is located near the western end of Apo Reef, about east of Apo Island. It is a rocky limestone island with relatively little vegetation. Cayos del Bajo are flat coralline rock formations with no vegetation on the northern lagoon near the eastern edge of the reef. At low tide, many small rocks are dry on the reef, particularly along its north side. The main activity of the reef relates to its underwater quality. Scuba diving and snorkeling in Apo Reef area are exceptional due to the quality of