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Another report out
- Thread starter Bill2
- Start date
Coral Reef Crisis: Causes and Consequences
Franklin Moore
Barbara Best
This paper presents an overview of the value of coral reef ecosystems to developing countries, the impacts of international trade on coral reefs and local communities, and the role of the U.S. as a major consumer nation and driving factor in the international trade of corals and coral reef species.
Coral Reefs are Invaluable Coastal Ecosystems
By any measure, coral reefs are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on earth. Coral reefs occur in over 100 countries, most of them developing countries without the capacity or financial resources to adequately manage these vital resources. Reefs support at least a million described species of animals and plants, and another 8 million coral reef species are estimated to be as yet undiscovered.
According to one estimate, coral reefs provide goods and services worth about $375 billion each year - a staggering figure for an ecosystem which covers less than one percent of the earth's surface. Reef systems provide economic and environmental services to millions of people as shoreline protection from waves and storms, as places for recreation and tourism, and as sources of food, pharmaceuticals, livelihoods, and revenues.
In developing countries, coral reefs contribute about one-quarter of the total fish catch, providing food to an estimated one billion people in Asia alone. Globally, half a billion people are estimated to live within 100 kilometers of a coral reef and benefit from its production and protection. In light of expected climate change and associated sea level rises, coral reefs can offer a natural, self-building and self-repairing breakwater against wave and storm damage. These extremely valuable ecosystems constitute the economic base and future hope for sustained development in many countries, particularly small island nations.
Coral Reefs in Crisis
A recent report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network estimates that 25% of the world's reefs are already gone or severely damaged and that another third are degraded and threatened. This coral reef crisis is happening here at home in the U.S. and in far away places, in some of the most remote areas of the world.
Coral reefs are in serious trouble worldwide from a powerful combination of stresses that are threatening their survival, including:
overexploitation of resources for subsistence and commercial fishing;
destructive fishing practices that degrade and destroy the habitat itself;
increasing coastal populations, which are expected to double in the next 50 years;
poor land use practices and runoff of pollutants, sediments and nutrients;
disease outbreaks, which may be associated with poor water quality and pollutants;
coral bleaching, associated with increasing seawater temperatures and global change; and
removal of coastal mangrove forests.
These direct and indirect human activities pose significant threats to coral reef ecosystems, and the human populations that depend on them, particularly small island developing countries. For example:
In northern Jamaica, it is estimated that almost all of the reefs are dead or severely degraded from overfishing and coastal runoff. Fish stocks have declined to a point where local fishers are now straining fish larvae out of the sea for fish soup.
In the Philippines, degraded reefs and fish populations have led to an 18% decrease in the amount of protein in the average diet.
Human impacts are also occurring on U.S. reefs, oftentimes for use as luxury items. For example, in Hawaii at Honaunau, the top ten aquarium fish species have decreased by 59% over the last 20 years, and at Kona the most popular aquarium fish show declines in abundance from 38 to 57%.
Even under ideal conditions, it would take more than a lifetime for some reefs to recover. We can no longer continue to take coral reefs or mangrove forests for granted, or to assume that they can support unlimited resource use or unmanaged global trade.
Trade, Mangrove Forests, and Coral Reefs
While coral bleaching may be one of the largest threats facing coral reefs, international trade is having significant impacts on even the most remote and pristine reefs. Recent surveys of reefs worldwide found that many species of high commercial value were absent, or present in very low numbers, in almost all the reefs surveyed (Hodgson, 1999). Results suggest that almost all coral reefs have been affected by overfishing, and that there may be no pristine reefs left in the world.
International trade is also posing significant threats to mangrove forests, another critical coastal ecosystem that is intimately connected to coral reefs. Mangrove forests serve as important nurseries for many reef species. They help to maintain coastal water quality by reducing the run-off of sediments, pollutants and excess nutrients from the land. Nutrients and energy flow between these habitats as species move between them.
In some areas of the world, the major loss of mangrove forests is due to the construction of shrimp mariculture ponds for the world market. The cheap shrimp we consume here in the U.S. comes with enormous ecological and social costs for the local communities where mariculture ponds are inappropriately sited and intensively farmed.
Trade Drives Destructive Fishing Practices
How does the international trade in wild coral reef animals and products more directly impact reefs? Primarily through overfishing and the use of destructive fishing practices. Live fish for both the food trade and marine ornamental trade are often caught with the use of cyanide or other poison, which temporarily stuns the fish for easy collection. Cyanide use is a serious threat to some of the world's richest coral reefs, as the cyanide kills corals and many other coral reef organisms. The lucrative and unregulated international trade in reef fishes drives the use of cyanide. It is estimated that since the 1960's, more than one million kilograms of cyanide has been squirted onto Philippine reefs alone, and the practice has spread throughout East Asia and the Indo-Pacific (Bryant et al., 1998).
Various explosives, such as dynamite and homemade bombs, are also used to kill fish for easy collection, but at an enormous cost to the reef which is reduced to rubble. In Komodo National Park in Indonesia, about half of the reefs have already been destroyed through the use of explosives, forming beds of coral rubble that can extend several football fields in length. While the use of explosives to collect dead fish is usually for domestic trade, some of the fish that are only stunned will enter the international trade stream.
International trade is also driving the removal of the calcareous skeleton or base of the reef itself; reef skeletons are sold as "live rock" for marine aquaria. This base is the resulting accumulation of coral skeletons over tens to hundreds and thousands of years. Living coral, which constitutes the essential reef habitat for a myriad of species, is also collected and shipped live for marine aquaria, or killed and dried for the curio and shell trade.
Trade Drives Overfishing and Removal of Targeted Groups
In addition to destructive practices, international trade is driving overfishing and the selected removal of key groups from coral reefs. Major groups targeted for trade are:
groupers and wrasses for the live food fish trade;
dead fish and invertebrates for food, medicinal products, and ornamentals including sharks, sea cucumbers, sea stars, mollusks and sea horses;
live fish, coral and other invertebrates for marine aquaria and the ornamental hobby; and
"live rock" or the calcareous base of the reef for marine aquaria.
The marine ornamental trade for the pet industry often targets rare fish and coral species, as these can fetch the highest prices. The trade is also targeting large-polyped corals, which tend to be the slowest growing and the least common. By targeting the large groupers and wrasses, the live food fish trade removes key species from these ecosystems, thus altering their dynamics. The loss of some is comparable to the loss of major predators from terrestrial ecosystems. Other fishes feed on algae, and thus play an important role in ensuring that corals are not overgrown by more rapidly growing algae. The removal of coral for the marine aquarium trade and for use as curios and knickknacks, and the removal of the "live rock" base, reduces the essential reef habitat.
There are strong economic incentives associated with this international trade. The live food fish trade through Hong Kong alone is estimated to have a retail value of about one billion dollars a year. Some species of fish, selected live from a restaurant tank, can sell for almost $300 per plate. The global retail of marine ornamental fishes and aquarium hobby supplies is estimated at $500 million. Last year, for example, a pair of rare fish sold for over $5,000 each. Over 1000 different species of coral reef animals are now traded for marine aquaria.
The impacts from international trade are quite different from other more chronic causes of reef degradation, as these impacts are felt even in the most remote, pristine reefs. The use of destructive fishing practices, such as the use of cyanide, is spreading throughout the Indo-Pacific as fishing boats venture farther to find new unexploited fishing grounds
There is already strong international concern that some coral reef species are threatened or may become threatened through trade. Those species are listed under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and include 2000 species of hard (stony) corals, black coral, giant clams, Queen conch, and sea turtles.
Consequences of Destructive and Unsustainable Fishing Practices on Local Human Communities
International trade is driving destructive fishing practices and unsustainable harvests from coral reef ecosystems, reducing the value of coral reefs to local communities and prospects for long term sustainable use. In some areas, depletion of stocks and the destruction of the reefs are threatening peoples’Äô food security.
This international trade is a highly mobile trade; as stocks are depleted in one area or country, the trade moves on to other areas, often spreading the use of destructive fishing practices. Thus, the nature of the trade provides few incentives for long-term sustainable use by a community, and few benefits are channeled to the local communities.
The use of poisons and hooka gear can have serious consequences for the collectors themselves. Cyanide fishing poses human health risks to the fishers through exposure to the poison. A hooka rig is a low-tech approach to scuba diving that involves a compressor on the boat that pushes air down long tubes to divers below. Divers can spend many long hours under water collecting with hooka rigs. Unsafe diving practices by untrained divers can lead to the diver's "bends" and result in joint disease and even paralysis and death. Each week, several divers who have contracted the bends are taken by fishing boats in Honduras for treatment in the local diving decompression chamber. These divers have been collecting spiny lobsters to supply the growing U.S. appetite for seafood. Similar reports of injuries to divers come from South East Asian countries where hooka rigs are used for collecting marine ornamental fish and live food fish.
U.S. Role in International Trade
In 1998, in response to the coral reef crisis, the Executive Order for the Protection of Coral Reefs was signed. The Order created the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force as a way of coordinating federal and state efforts, and charges federal agencies with the conservation and sustainable use of reef resources both domestically and worldwide. The Task Force was also asked to analyze and address the U.S. role in the international trade of coral and coral reef species.
The results of the trade analysis reveal that while live reef fish for the food fish market primarily go to Asian markets, the U.S. is the number one consumer of live coral and marine fishes for the aquarium trade and of coral skeletons and precious corals for curios and jewelry. Inadvertently, American consumers are contributing to the worldwide decline and degradation of reefs.
A closer examination of the U.S. trade reveals that the U.S. was consistently the largest importer of live coral during the 1990s, importing over 80% of the live coral and 95% of the live "rock" or reef base. Ironically, the U.S. prohibits the collection of coral and live rock in its own waters as they are considered essential fish habitats.
In addition to coral, the United States imports nearly half (eight million) of the total worldwide trade in aquarium fishes (15-20 million/year). Many of the fish imported for the marine aquarium market in the U.S. are captured with the use of cyanide and other poisons, which kills non-target animals and the coral reef itself. Sustainability concerns will only increase with the growing international trade. The international trade in coral and live rock to supply the aquarium trade has increased at a rate of 12 to 30% per year since 1990.
The U.S. Role in Addressing the Trade Threat
The U.S. is part of the problem. The U.S. needs to be part of the answer. As a major consumer and importer of coral reef organisms, a major player in the world trade arena, and a leader in coral reef conservation efforts, the U.S. has a critical responsibility to not only address the degradation and loss of coral reef ecosystems worldwide, but to also encourage more responsible trade. As consumers, the U.S. should discourage the use of destructive or unsustainable collection practices that may jeopardize the future potential of coral reefs to sustain the local communities who depend on them for food and livelihoods. Rather, we should reward and encourage responsible use of these precious resources, and shift the burden of proof of sustainable use, for commercial and recreational purposes, to the users.
We need to emphasize community-based management of coral reef resources so that people living on and around coral reefs may share in the profits from coral reef activities. Other exploiters, whose primary interest is in making money without sharing benefits with local communities, should not be allowed to profit from these precious resources.
Oftentimes, local communities or national fisheries departments lack the capacity to sustainably manage reef resources, or to resist the short-term, high gain, economic incentives associated with the live food fish and marine ornamental trades. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal agency of the U.S. Government responsible for building capacity in sustainable resource use in developing countries. USAID is presently working with local communities and national governments in about 20 countries to assist them in conserving and managing their coral reef and coastal resources through capacity building for integrated coastal management, better land-use practices, sustainable fisheries management, and marine protected areas.[1]
There are also immediate actions available to the U.S. public in terms of awareness and individual consumer choice.[2] There is an urgent need to develop positive trade regimes so that only products from reefs under sustainable management plans are allowed into or out of the U.S., to ensure that consumer demand by Americans is not contributing to the decline and degradation of coral reefs.[3]
We must change our view of how we treasure and value natural resources. For example, last month, the U.S. adopted new trade measures covering the import of antiquities from Italy into the U.S.; all antiquities from Italy must now be accompanied by documentation and certification has to how they were collected and where they are from, to ensure that they are from legitimate sources.
We must take a similar approach to natural resources. The U.S. government is promoting the idea among other nations within the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that consuming nations must bear some of the responsibility for their imports, and it is considering this approach for reef resources.
The U.S. could play a significant role by helping reward responsible practices, creating market incentives for responsible behaviors, and requiring certification of non-destructive collection practices and demonstration of sustainable collection of coral reef species. In this way, government, consumers, hobbyists and industry members can work together to ensure a responsible trade.
Not very flattering to our hobby and how it is supplied, and there are still people who want to say our hobby has a very small impact.
Franklin Moore
Barbara Best
This paper presents an overview of the value of coral reef ecosystems to developing countries, the impacts of international trade on coral reefs and local communities, and the role of the U.S. as a major consumer nation and driving factor in the international trade of corals and coral reef species.
Coral Reefs are Invaluable Coastal Ecosystems
By any measure, coral reefs are among the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on earth. Coral reefs occur in over 100 countries, most of them developing countries without the capacity or financial resources to adequately manage these vital resources. Reefs support at least a million described species of animals and plants, and another 8 million coral reef species are estimated to be as yet undiscovered.
According to one estimate, coral reefs provide goods and services worth about $375 billion each year - a staggering figure for an ecosystem which covers less than one percent of the earth's surface. Reef systems provide economic and environmental services to millions of people as shoreline protection from waves and storms, as places for recreation and tourism, and as sources of food, pharmaceuticals, livelihoods, and revenues.
In developing countries, coral reefs contribute about one-quarter of the total fish catch, providing food to an estimated one billion people in Asia alone. Globally, half a billion people are estimated to live within 100 kilometers of a coral reef and benefit from its production and protection. In light of expected climate change and associated sea level rises, coral reefs can offer a natural, self-building and self-repairing breakwater against wave and storm damage. These extremely valuable ecosystems constitute the economic base and future hope for sustained development in many countries, particularly small island nations.
Coral Reefs in Crisis
A recent report from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network estimates that 25% of the world's reefs are already gone or severely damaged and that another third are degraded and threatened. This coral reef crisis is happening here at home in the U.S. and in far away places, in some of the most remote areas of the world.
Coral reefs are in serious trouble worldwide from a powerful combination of stresses that are threatening their survival, including:
overexploitation of resources for subsistence and commercial fishing;
destructive fishing practices that degrade and destroy the habitat itself;
increasing coastal populations, which are expected to double in the next 50 years;
poor land use practices and runoff of pollutants, sediments and nutrients;
disease outbreaks, which may be associated with poor water quality and pollutants;
coral bleaching, associated with increasing seawater temperatures and global change; and
removal of coastal mangrove forests.
These direct and indirect human activities pose significant threats to coral reef ecosystems, and the human populations that depend on them, particularly small island developing countries. For example:
In northern Jamaica, it is estimated that almost all of the reefs are dead or severely degraded from overfishing and coastal runoff. Fish stocks have declined to a point where local fishers are now straining fish larvae out of the sea for fish soup.
In the Philippines, degraded reefs and fish populations have led to an 18% decrease in the amount of protein in the average diet.
Human impacts are also occurring on U.S. reefs, oftentimes for use as luxury items. For example, in Hawaii at Honaunau, the top ten aquarium fish species have decreased by 59% over the last 20 years, and at Kona the most popular aquarium fish show declines in abundance from 38 to 57%.
Even under ideal conditions, it would take more than a lifetime for some reefs to recover. We can no longer continue to take coral reefs or mangrove forests for granted, or to assume that they can support unlimited resource use or unmanaged global trade.
Trade, Mangrove Forests, and Coral Reefs
While coral bleaching may be one of the largest threats facing coral reefs, international trade is having significant impacts on even the most remote and pristine reefs. Recent surveys of reefs worldwide found that many species of high commercial value were absent, or present in very low numbers, in almost all the reefs surveyed (Hodgson, 1999). Results suggest that almost all coral reefs have been affected by overfishing, and that there may be no pristine reefs left in the world.
International trade is also posing significant threats to mangrove forests, another critical coastal ecosystem that is intimately connected to coral reefs. Mangrove forests serve as important nurseries for many reef species. They help to maintain coastal water quality by reducing the run-off of sediments, pollutants and excess nutrients from the land. Nutrients and energy flow between these habitats as species move between them.
In some areas of the world, the major loss of mangrove forests is due to the construction of shrimp mariculture ponds for the world market. The cheap shrimp we consume here in the U.S. comes with enormous ecological and social costs for the local communities where mariculture ponds are inappropriately sited and intensively farmed.
Trade Drives Destructive Fishing Practices
How does the international trade in wild coral reef animals and products more directly impact reefs? Primarily through overfishing and the use of destructive fishing practices. Live fish for both the food trade and marine ornamental trade are often caught with the use of cyanide or other poison, which temporarily stuns the fish for easy collection. Cyanide use is a serious threat to some of the world's richest coral reefs, as the cyanide kills corals and many other coral reef organisms. The lucrative and unregulated international trade in reef fishes drives the use of cyanide. It is estimated that since the 1960's, more than one million kilograms of cyanide has been squirted onto Philippine reefs alone, and the practice has spread throughout East Asia and the Indo-Pacific (Bryant et al., 1998).
Various explosives, such as dynamite and homemade bombs, are also used to kill fish for easy collection, but at an enormous cost to the reef which is reduced to rubble. In Komodo National Park in Indonesia, about half of the reefs have already been destroyed through the use of explosives, forming beds of coral rubble that can extend several football fields in length. While the use of explosives to collect dead fish is usually for domestic trade, some of the fish that are only stunned will enter the international trade stream.
International trade is also driving the removal of the calcareous skeleton or base of the reef itself; reef skeletons are sold as "live rock" for marine aquaria. This base is the resulting accumulation of coral skeletons over tens to hundreds and thousands of years. Living coral, which constitutes the essential reef habitat for a myriad of species, is also collected and shipped live for marine aquaria, or killed and dried for the curio and shell trade.
Trade Drives Overfishing and Removal of Targeted Groups
In addition to destructive practices, international trade is driving overfishing and the selected removal of key groups from coral reefs. Major groups targeted for trade are:
groupers and wrasses for the live food fish trade;
dead fish and invertebrates for food, medicinal products, and ornamentals including sharks, sea cucumbers, sea stars, mollusks and sea horses;
live fish, coral and other invertebrates for marine aquaria and the ornamental hobby; and
"live rock" or the calcareous base of the reef for marine aquaria.
The marine ornamental trade for the pet industry often targets rare fish and coral species, as these can fetch the highest prices. The trade is also targeting large-polyped corals, which tend to be the slowest growing and the least common. By targeting the large groupers and wrasses, the live food fish trade removes key species from these ecosystems, thus altering their dynamics. The loss of some is comparable to the loss of major predators from terrestrial ecosystems. Other fishes feed on algae, and thus play an important role in ensuring that corals are not overgrown by more rapidly growing algae. The removal of coral for the marine aquarium trade and for use as curios and knickknacks, and the removal of the "live rock" base, reduces the essential reef habitat.
There are strong economic incentives associated with this international trade. The live food fish trade through Hong Kong alone is estimated to have a retail value of about one billion dollars a year. Some species of fish, selected live from a restaurant tank, can sell for almost $300 per plate. The global retail of marine ornamental fishes and aquarium hobby supplies is estimated at $500 million. Last year, for example, a pair of rare fish sold for over $5,000 each. Over 1000 different species of coral reef animals are now traded for marine aquaria.
The impacts from international trade are quite different from other more chronic causes of reef degradation, as these impacts are felt even in the most remote, pristine reefs. The use of destructive fishing practices, such as the use of cyanide, is spreading throughout the Indo-Pacific as fishing boats venture farther to find new unexploited fishing grounds
There is already strong international concern that some coral reef species are threatened or may become threatened through trade. Those species are listed under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and include 2000 species of hard (stony) corals, black coral, giant clams, Queen conch, and sea turtles.
Consequences of Destructive and Unsustainable Fishing Practices on Local Human Communities
International trade is driving destructive fishing practices and unsustainable harvests from coral reef ecosystems, reducing the value of coral reefs to local communities and prospects for long term sustainable use. In some areas, depletion of stocks and the destruction of the reefs are threatening peoples’Äô food security.
This international trade is a highly mobile trade; as stocks are depleted in one area or country, the trade moves on to other areas, often spreading the use of destructive fishing practices. Thus, the nature of the trade provides few incentives for long-term sustainable use by a community, and few benefits are channeled to the local communities.
The use of poisons and hooka gear can have serious consequences for the collectors themselves. Cyanide fishing poses human health risks to the fishers through exposure to the poison. A hooka rig is a low-tech approach to scuba diving that involves a compressor on the boat that pushes air down long tubes to divers below. Divers can spend many long hours under water collecting with hooka rigs. Unsafe diving practices by untrained divers can lead to the diver's "bends" and result in joint disease and even paralysis and death. Each week, several divers who have contracted the bends are taken by fishing boats in Honduras for treatment in the local diving decompression chamber. These divers have been collecting spiny lobsters to supply the growing U.S. appetite for seafood. Similar reports of injuries to divers come from South East Asian countries where hooka rigs are used for collecting marine ornamental fish and live food fish.
U.S. Role in International Trade
In 1998, in response to the coral reef crisis, the Executive Order for the Protection of Coral Reefs was signed. The Order created the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force as a way of coordinating federal and state efforts, and charges federal agencies with the conservation and sustainable use of reef resources both domestically and worldwide. The Task Force was also asked to analyze and address the U.S. role in the international trade of coral and coral reef species.
The results of the trade analysis reveal that while live reef fish for the food fish market primarily go to Asian markets, the U.S. is the number one consumer of live coral and marine fishes for the aquarium trade and of coral skeletons and precious corals for curios and jewelry. Inadvertently, American consumers are contributing to the worldwide decline and degradation of reefs.
A closer examination of the U.S. trade reveals that the U.S. was consistently the largest importer of live coral during the 1990s, importing over 80% of the live coral and 95% of the live "rock" or reef base. Ironically, the U.S. prohibits the collection of coral and live rock in its own waters as they are considered essential fish habitats.
In addition to coral, the United States imports nearly half (eight million) of the total worldwide trade in aquarium fishes (15-20 million/year). Many of the fish imported for the marine aquarium market in the U.S. are captured with the use of cyanide and other poisons, which kills non-target animals and the coral reef itself. Sustainability concerns will only increase with the growing international trade. The international trade in coral and live rock to supply the aquarium trade has increased at a rate of 12 to 30% per year since 1990.
The U.S. Role in Addressing the Trade Threat
The U.S. is part of the problem. The U.S. needs to be part of the answer. As a major consumer and importer of coral reef organisms, a major player in the world trade arena, and a leader in coral reef conservation efforts, the U.S. has a critical responsibility to not only address the degradation and loss of coral reef ecosystems worldwide, but to also encourage more responsible trade. As consumers, the U.S. should discourage the use of destructive or unsustainable collection practices that may jeopardize the future potential of coral reefs to sustain the local communities who depend on them for food and livelihoods. Rather, we should reward and encourage responsible use of these precious resources, and shift the burden of proof of sustainable use, for commercial and recreational purposes, to the users.
We need to emphasize community-based management of coral reef resources so that people living on and around coral reefs may share in the profits from coral reef activities. Other exploiters, whose primary interest is in making money without sharing benefits with local communities, should not be allowed to profit from these precious resources.
Oftentimes, local communities or national fisheries departments lack the capacity to sustainably manage reef resources, or to resist the short-term, high gain, economic incentives associated with the live food fish and marine ornamental trades. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal agency of the U.S. Government responsible for building capacity in sustainable resource use in developing countries. USAID is presently working with local communities and national governments in about 20 countries to assist them in conserving and managing their coral reef and coastal resources through capacity building for integrated coastal management, better land-use practices, sustainable fisheries management, and marine protected areas.[1]
There are also immediate actions available to the U.S. public in terms of awareness and individual consumer choice.[2] There is an urgent need to develop positive trade regimes so that only products from reefs under sustainable management plans are allowed into or out of the U.S., to ensure that consumer demand by Americans is not contributing to the decline and degradation of coral reefs.[3]
We must change our view of how we treasure and value natural resources. For example, last month, the U.S. adopted new trade measures covering the import of antiquities from Italy into the U.S.; all antiquities from Italy must now be accompanied by documentation and certification has to how they were collected and where they are from, to ensure that they are from legitimate sources.
We must take a similar approach to natural resources. The U.S. government is promoting the idea among other nations within the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that consuming nations must bear some of the responsibility for their imports, and it is considering this approach for reef resources.
The U.S. could play a significant role by helping reward responsible practices, creating market incentives for responsible behaviors, and requiring certification of non-destructive collection practices and demonstration of sustainable collection of coral reef species. In this way, government, consumers, hobbyists and industry members can work together to ensure a responsible trade.
Not very flattering to our hobby and how it is supplied, and there are still people who want to say our hobby has a very small impact.
Thanks for the link Bill. I am attaching this portion of the report to emphasize what I believe to be the correct approach to reef conservation.
The U.S. Role in Addressing the Trade Threat
The U.S. is part of the problem. The U.S. needs to be part of the answer. As a major consumer and importer of coral reef organisms, a major player in the world trade arena, and a leader in coral reef conservation efforts, the U.S. has a critical responsibility to not only address the degradation and loss of coral reef ecosystems worldwide, but to also encourage more responsible trade. As consumers, the U.S. should discourage the use of destructive or unsustainable collection practices that may jeopardize the future potential of coral reefs to sustain the local communities who depend on them for food and livelihoods. Rather, we should reward and encourage responsible use of these precious resources, and shift the burden of proof of sustainable use, for commercial and recreational purposes, to the users.
We need to emphasize community-based management of coral reef resources so that people living on and around coral reefs may share in the profits from coral reef activities. Other exploiters, whose primary interest is in making money without sharing benefits with local communities, should not be allowed to profit from these precious resources.
Oftentimes, local communities or national fisheries departments lack the capacity to sustainably manage reef resources, or to resist the short-term, high gain, economic incentives associated with the live food fish and marine ornamental trades. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal agency of the U.S. Government responsible for building capacity in sustainable resource use in developing countries. USAID is presently working with local communities and national governments in about 20 countries to assist them in conserving and managing their coral reef and coastal resources through capacity building for integrated coastal management, better land-use practices, sustainable fisheries management, and marine protected areas.[1]
There are also immediate actions available to the U.S. public in terms of awareness and individual consumer choice.[2] There is an urgent need to develop positive trade regimes so that only products from reefs under sustainable management plans are allowed into or out of the U.S., to ensure that consumer demand by Americans is not contributing to the decline and degradation of coral reefs.[3]
We must change our view of how we treasure and value natural resources. For example, last month, the U.S. adopted new trade measures covering the import of antiquities from Italy into the U.S.; all antiquities from Italy must now be accompanied by documentation and certification has to how they were collected and where they are from, to ensure that they are from legitimate sources.
We must take a similar approach to natural resources. The U.S. government is promoting the idea among other nations within the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that consuming nations must bear some of the responsibility for their imports, and it is considering this approach for reef resources.
The U.S. could play a significant role by helping reward responsible practices, creating market incentives for responsible behaviors, and requiring certification of non-destructive collection practices and demonstration of sustainable collection of coral reef species. In this way, government, consumers, hobbyists and industry members can work together to ensure a responsible trade.
Steve
The U.S. Role in Addressing the Trade Threat
The U.S. is part of the problem. The U.S. needs to be part of the answer. As a major consumer and importer of coral reef organisms, a major player in the world trade arena, and a leader in coral reef conservation efforts, the U.S. has a critical responsibility to not only address the degradation and loss of coral reef ecosystems worldwide, but to also encourage more responsible trade. As consumers, the U.S. should discourage the use of destructive or unsustainable collection practices that may jeopardize the future potential of coral reefs to sustain the local communities who depend on them for food and livelihoods. Rather, we should reward and encourage responsible use of these precious resources, and shift the burden of proof of sustainable use, for commercial and recreational purposes, to the users.
We need to emphasize community-based management of coral reef resources so that people living on and around coral reefs may share in the profits from coral reef activities. Other exploiters, whose primary interest is in making money without sharing benefits with local communities, should not be allowed to profit from these precious resources.
Oftentimes, local communities or national fisheries departments lack the capacity to sustainably manage reef resources, or to resist the short-term, high gain, economic incentives associated with the live food fish and marine ornamental trades. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal agency of the U.S. Government responsible for building capacity in sustainable resource use in developing countries. USAID is presently working with local communities and national governments in about 20 countries to assist them in conserving and managing their coral reef and coastal resources through capacity building for integrated coastal management, better land-use practices, sustainable fisheries management, and marine protected areas.[1]
There are also immediate actions available to the U.S. public in terms of awareness and individual consumer choice.[2] There is an urgent need to develop positive trade regimes so that only products from reefs under sustainable management plans are allowed into or out of the U.S., to ensure that consumer demand by Americans is not contributing to the decline and degradation of coral reefs.[3]
We must change our view of how we treasure and value natural resources. For example, last month, the U.S. adopted new trade measures covering the import of antiquities from Italy into the U.S.; all antiquities from Italy must now be accompanied by documentation and certification has to how they were collected and where they are from, to ensure that they are from legitimate sources.
We must take a similar approach to natural resources. The U.S. government is promoting the idea among other nations within the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that consuming nations must bear some of the responsibility for their imports, and it is considering this approach for reef resources.
The U.S. could play a significant role by helping reward responsible practices, creating market incentives for responsible behaviors, and requiring certification of non-destructive collection practices and demonstration of sustainable collection of coral reef species. In this way, government, consumers, hobbyists and industry members can work together to ensure a responsible trade.
Steve
I would like to remind everyone this report is not a report on only the marine ornamental trade. It addresses many topics ranging from:
marine ornamental trade
mangrove destruction
live food fish
live rock
curio/jewerly trade
overfishing
Once again there are many pressures on the reef our hobby is only one of them.
Recomendations for the Ornamental trade set forth by us USCRTF (United States Coral Reef Task Force) are intersting:
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr> 1.The U.S. should prohibit domestic harvest or collection and the import or export of coral reef species and products listed under CITES that are not sustainably managed or from environmentally sound mariculture programs. Exceptions might include organisms intended for approved captive breeding programs, scientific research, or public display. Restrictions might be extended to other species of concern under certain circumstances.
2.The U.S. should work with members of the marine aquarium industry, environmental organizations and other stakeholders to develop, within a specified time limit, responsible practices and guidelines for collection and transport of coral reef species that reduce mortality rates throughout the trade stream, improve product quality, and ensure survival in captivity. <hr></blockquote>
Couple more after these but I know you guys can read so I won't post them and I'll just give the link. They are found at bottom of page along with information on how MAC is integrated into the whole thing.
http://xserver.aaas.org/international/ssa/coralreefs/ch4.shtml
I don't see the word ban coming from this governmental body. What I do see is ideas similar to those expressed by many people in this forum. Ideas like sustainable harvest, proper shipping, proper husbandry and education et cetera. (26% of people surveyed think coral reefs occur all over. See powerpoint presentation)
marine ornamental trade
mangrove destruction
live food fish
live rock
curio/jewerly trade
overfishing
Once again there are many pressures on the reef our hobby is only one of them.
Recomendations for the Ornamental trade set forth by us USCRTF (United States Coral Reef Task Force) are intersting:
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr> 1.The U.S. should prohibit domestic harvest or collection and the import or export of coral reef species and products listed under CITES that are not sustainably managed or from environmentally sound mariculture programs. Exceptions might include organisms intended for approved captive breeding programs, scientific research, or public display. Restrictions might be extended to other species of concern under certain circumstances.
2.The U.S. should work with members of the marine aquarium industry, environmental organizations and other stakeholders to develop, within a specified time limit, responsible practices and guidelines for collection and transport of coral reef species that reduce mortality rates throughout the trade stream, improve product quality, and ensure survival in captivity. <hr></blockquote>
Couple more after these but I know you guys can read so I won't post them and I'll just give the link. They are found at bottom of page along with information on how MAC is integrated into the whole thing.
http://xserver.aaas.org/international/ssa/coralreefs/ch4.shtml
I don't see the word ban coming from this governmental body. What I do see is ideas similar to those expressed by many people in this forum. Ideas like sustainable harvest, proper shipping, proper husbandry and education et cetera. (26% of people surveyed think coral reefs occur all over. See powerpoint presentation)
The U.S. should prohibit domestic harvest or collection and the import or export of coral reef species and products listed under CITES that are not sustainably managed or from environmentally sound mariculture programs
And how is this not a ban? Maybe the word is more complex than I thought.
And how is this not a ban? Maybe the word is more complex than I thought.
It's been a while since I've read the report you're citing, Bill, but if memory serves it -also- discusses how current harvesting techniques are not sustainable. In light of that, when it says
1.The U.S. should prohibit domestic harvest or collection and the import or export of coral reef species and products listed under CITES that are not sustainably managed or from environmentally sound mariculture programs.
... the implication is that, unless significant reform is enacted, bans should indeed very much be put in place. That same report states...
“..estimates are that 10% of all coral reefs are degraded beyond recovery; 30% are in critical condition and may die within 10 to 20 years… And if current pressures continue unabated, another 30% may perish completely by 2050.”
In the draft report “Coral Reefs at Risk and the Role of Trade” , again by the US Coral Reef Task Force, several similar statements are found. Most damning is, “Recent surveys of 300 reefs worldwide found that key target species of commercial interest were absent or present in very low numbers, in almost all of the reefs surveyed. This suggests that almost all reefs have been affected by overharvesting, and that there may not be any pristine reefs left in the world.”
The CRTF's reports make it clear they find current harvesting practices unsustainable. Bear that in mind when reading their recommendations.
1.The U.S. should prohibit domestic harvest or collection and the import or export of coral reef species and products listed under CITES that are not sustainably managed or from environmentally sound mariculture programs.
... the implication is that, unless significant reform is enacted, bans should indeed very much be put in place. That same report states...
“..estimates are that 10% of all coral reefs are degraded beyond recovery; 30% are in critical condition and may die within 10 to 20 years… And if current pressures continue unabated, another 30% may perish completely by 2050.”
In the draft report “Coral Reefs at Risk and the Role of Trade” , again by the US Coral Reef Task Force, several similar statements are found. Most damning is, “Recent surveys of 300 reefs worldwide found that key target species of commercial interest were absent or present in very low numbers, in almost all of the reefs surveyed. This suggests that almost all reefs have been affected by overharvesting, and that there may not be any pristine reefs left in the world.”
The CRTF's reports make it clear they find current harvesting practices unsustainable. Bear that in mind when reading their recommendations.
Also in that report they state:
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>
Stony corals traded as curios, jewelry, furniture or dead ornamentals (i.e, coral skeletons or "raw" coral that was collected alive, bleached and cleaned to remove tissue) accounted for more than 90% of the international trade in corals during the 1980s and early 1990s (NMSF analysis). The greatest volume overall was traded in 1992 when the Philippines exported close to 4.4 million; since 1993, the volume has remained fairly constant.<hr></blockquote> page 12 section 7.
Do I think we (ornamental trade) have an effect upon the coral reef? Of Course. I have an effect upon my backyard when I rake up the leaves. Do I think if the hobby was shut down today would that solve the reefs problems? No way. IF the hobby was shut down today, would the reefs improve? Maybe short term being 1-2 years but long term nope. There are too many other much larger pressures on the reefs.
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:ltsR5NsPm34C:www.ivanetdesign.com/waltsmith/news/pdfs/10_coralat_risk.PDF+Coral+Reefs+at+Risk+and+the+Role+of+Trade&hl=en
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>
Stony corals traded as curios, jewelry, furniture or dead ornamentals (i.e, coral skeletons or "raw" coral that was collected alive, bleached and cleaned to remove tissue) accounted for more than 90% of the international trade in corals during the 1980s and early 1990s (NMSF analysis). The greatest volume overall was traded in 1992 when the Philippines exported close to 4.4 million; since 1993, the volume has remained fairly constant.<hr></blockquote> page 12 section 7.
Do I think we (ornamental trade) have an effect upon the coral reef? Of Course. I have an effect upon my backyard when I rake up the leaves. Do I think if the hobby was shut down today would that solve the reefs problems? No way. IF the hobby was shut down today, would the reefs improve? Maybe short term being 1-2 years but long term nope. There are too many other much larger pressures on the reefs.
http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:ltsR5NsPm34C:www.ivanetdesign.com/waltsmith/news/pdfs/10_coralat_risk.PDF+Coral+Reefs+at+Risk+and+the+Role+of+Trade&hl=en
Not that I am advocating a complete ban, but lets look at the extreem. Would our hobby still exist, of coarse it would, Just by the fact that so much of what we keep is fragged and aquacultred.
I fail to see why it should not be a goal to frag as much as we can and aquaculture as much as we can.
We have heard Mary's views but their are Importers that feel that live rock is not neccessary to be imported and just with that foothold we could start what could be a hobby that produces what it consumes instead of a hobby that Contributes to reef degradation. In speaking with other importers I have not heard the same cries for everyone to recognize that the wild reefs are sustainable but more a recognition that if the other factors continue and this hobby keeps growing that it is certain they are not.
The newest issue of Dive training Febuary 2002 give the results of the December meeting of the U.S. Coral Task Force in Washington D.C.
Commerce Deputy Secretary Samual Bodman announced $34 million for coral reef conservation through the NOAA. He aso said "The Bush administration fully supports this Task Force and is firmly commited to the conservation of our coral reefs."
If importers keep talking one game but show no restrant in what they are importing, all this talking about "reform" will be for not. It will be that quick before politicians see the writing on the wall that this is a way to look "green" and there are very few to oppose them.
I do not see what is all the talk, just stop importing species of fish and coral that are not neccessary.
I fail to see why it should not be a goal to frag as much as we can and aquaculture as much as we can.
We have heard Mary's views but their are Importers that feel that live rock is not neccessary to be imported and just with that foothold we could start what could be a hobby that produces what it consumes instead of a hobby that Contributes to reef degradation. In speaking with other importers I have not heard the same cries for everyone to recognize that the wild reefs are sustainable but more a recognition that if the other factors continue and this hobby keeps growing that it is certain they are not.
The newest issue of Dive training Febuary 2002 give the results of the December meeting of the U.S. Coral Task Force in Washington D.C.
Commerce Deputy Secretary Samual Bodman announced $34 million for coral reef conservation through the NOAA. He aso said "The Bush administration fully supports this Task Force and is firmly commited to the conservation of our coral reefs."
If importers keep talking one game but show no restrant in what they are importing, all this talking about "reform" will be for not. It will be that quick before politicians see the writing on the wall that this is a way to look "green" and there are very few to oppose them.
I do not see what is all the talk, just stop importing species of fish and coral that are not neccessary.
Do I think we (ornamental trade) have an effect upon the coral reef? Of Course. I have an effect upon my backyard when I rake up the leaves. Do I think if the hobby was shut down today would that solve the reefs problems? No way. IF the hobby was shut down today, would the reefs improve? Maybe short term being 1-2 years but long term nope. There are too many other much larger pressures on the reefs.
No argument -- but it's irrelevent. As has been said many, many, many times before, it frankly doesn't matter what other pressures are on the reefs. What matters, in the context of the reef aquarium hobby, is that the reef aquarium hobby is one of those pressures. Should we try to curb the other problems too? Of course. Does not mean we should continue to blithely operate in such a way that we make a bad situation even worse? Of course not.
I've never argued for a complete ban, because I see economics as the best incentive for healthy reefs. But there's a substantial difference between advocating a complete ban, and advocating limited, key-species banning.
No argument -- but it's irrelevent. As has been said many, many, many times before, it frankly doesn't matter what other pressures are on the reefs. What matters, in the context of the reef aquarium hobby, is that the reef aquarium hobby is one of those pressures. Should we try to curb the other problems too? Of course. Does not mean we should continue to blithely operate in such a way that we make a bad situation even worse? Of course not.
I've never argued for a complete ban, because I see economics as the best incentive for healthy reefs. But there's a substantial difference between advocating a complete ban, and advocating limited, key-species banning.
Once again , why is it when a study shows polution and bleaching to be the cause of 80% of reef loss and then a study shows that many reef fish are in short supply....that coral collection is were all the efforts are put forth? No study has ever shown that coral clippings cause any ill health on Pacific reefs! Yet it remains the focus ? Were was the solution to the 90% Curio dead coral trade? I saw pages and pages of ideas on how to ease that remaining 10% of live coral trade? And Lets see 80,000 kilos is about the same as ten Parrot fish eat a year ? { as reported at MACNA}I wonder if we catch and eat those ten Parrot fish , then that would leave 80,000 Kilograms more of uneaten coral? Also if a Parrot fish munching down coral frags is an environmentally natural good thing? then would it also be a good and natural thing if a diver did it? How bout if he used his teeth ...........?
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history of us recessions
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history of us recessions
Kalkbreath/CBA, even though I am an administrator of this board, I do have an opinion that I feel must be known.
Governmental agencies are quite well-known for their actions when it comes to protecting plants/animals/habitats that are threatened. The simplest and cheapest way to protect them is an outright ban- there are no gray areas, and it takes less money and manpower to regulate in the long run, as the offenses are very clear-cut. By continually pointing fingers at the numbers, and refusing to take any accountability for what the hobby as a whole does, you are lessening your chances for being able to put food on the table in 10 years. If you were called before Congress as an expert witness, your testimony of challenging whatever numbers were posted would be scoffed at, and do the hobby's case as a whole more harm than good.
I think you might find that your energies might be better directed at working together with other industry personnel and hobbyists to find a solution that can keep the hobby alive, and still allow you to run a profitable business.
Governmental agencies are quite well-known for their actions when it comes to protecting plants/animals/habitats that are threatened. The simplest and cheapest way to protect them is an outright ban- there are no gray areas, and it takes less money and manpower to regulate in the long run, as the offenses are very clear-cut. By continually pointing fingers at the numbers, and refusing to take any accountability for what the hobby as a whole does, you are lessening your chances for being able to put food on the table in 10 years. If you were called before Congress as an expert witness, your testimony of challenging whatever numbers were posted would be scoffed at, and do the hobby's case as a whole more harm than good.
I think you might find that your energies might be better directed at working together with other industry personnel and hobbyists to find a solution that can keep the hobby alive, and still allow you to run a profitable business.
I have not disagreed with any numbers? I have only exposed each number that has been expressed on NOAA s' data or Dr. Reef ...wether its 94,000 kilos or 570,000 items that these are TINY sums!Even CITIES agrees with this? To admit that the hobby has little effect on the health of the reef removes the hope we can save it...we cant handle this? I have showed many times that this hobby of coral collection is 1/100 of one percent of the total , even Using your own data and still we plod on and on ? I would feel better if at least one response was to dispute the Math or data , but not one person has even challanged my position on logic or simple math. {silly}
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Mercedes Simplex
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Mercedes Simplex
Kalkbreath, I believe the fear surrounding coral harvest surrounds the idea that if we are removing a percentage of corals from a given area, and it is subjected to pollution or bleaching from warming, then we have lost a fraction of corals that may have been able to endure and recuperate.
Too bad we can't know before hand which corals will be most heavily affected from bleaching mortality, and collect them before the bleaching occurs.
Bear in mind that this year is predicted to be a very bad bleaching year with reports already pouring in from the GBR of mass bleachings. ENSO event in full force!
Too bad we can't know before hand which corals will be most heavily affected from bleaching mortality, and collect them before the bleaching occurs.
Bear in mind that this year is predicted to be a very bad bleaching year with reports already pouring in from the GBR of mass bleachings. ENSO event in full force!
Thanks for the link, I cant find how they came up with the "non collected area" fish per acre? And Are they just doing math? {100 fish Take away 38 in a boat, leaves= 62 fish ? Dont take my questions the wrong way, I DO feel that fish collection DOES have an impact. {Its coral collection thats another story}
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recessions in history
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recessions in history
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