Reefs at risk
Transcription
Reefs at risk
Big threat: Small-scale fishing by local communities will not deplete the sea but not the large fishing fleets which ply the world's oceans in search of commercially valuable catch such as sharks and tunas. - RebeccaWeeks Reefs at risk The world's coral epicentre is in danger. R EEFS all around the world are in trouble - but more so those in the region known as the Coral Triangle, which encompasses reefs in South-East Asia and the Pacific and is considered the centre of coral diversity in the world. A report shows that over 85%of reefs in the six countries that make up the Coral Triangle - Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor teste - are directly threatened by local human activities, substantially more than the global average of 60%. The document Reefs At Risk Revisited In The Coral Triangle, released recently at the International Coral Reef Symposium in Cairns, Australia, points to these threats: over-fishing, destructive fishing methods, pollution from the land, and coastal development. The impact of these threats is worsened by coral bleaching, which is triggered by rising ocean temperatures. The Coral Triangle contains nearly 30%of the world's coral reefs and hosts 76%of all known coral species and over 3,000 species of fish, which is twice the number found anywhere else in the world. More than 130 million people living in the region rely on reef ecosystems for food, employment, and revenue from tourism. Despite its immense biodiversity and economic importance, only 16%of the region's coral reefs are protected as marine reserves - which is considerably lower than the global average of 28%- and only 1%of this is effectively managed. The scene is especially dismal in Malaysia. It might have 93 marine protected areas but these cover only 7%of its reefs. And only five of these reserves (encompassing just 1%of the country's reefs) are rated as effective at reducing fishing pressure. Over 90%of the country's reefs are found in the coasts of Sabah. About 540 species of hard corals have been identified in the country so far, as well as 925 species of fish. The report states that nearly all reefs in Malaysia are threatened by local human activities, with more than 40%under high and very high threat. Over-fishing is the most widespread threat, affecting about 97%of reefs in Malaysia. Destructive fishing, such as blast and cyanide fishing, threatens 85%of Malaysia's reefs, particularly. those in Sabah and Sarawak. Watershed-based pollution (such as runl from coastal development and sedimentladen outflows from rivers) affects 30%of t reefs, especially those off Peninsular Malay, Reefs are also suffering from marine polluti and coastal development. The Philippines is the most vulnerable to reef degradation because of its highly threa ened reefs, high economic dependence on reefs, and low capacity to adapt to the loss goods and services provided by reefs. Among the recommendations offered in the report for protecting reefs in the Coral Triangle, the most urgent is to reduce local pressures from over-fishing, destructive fis ing, damaging coastal development, and pc luting runoffs from land. The report authors say healthy reefs will be more likely to survive the negative effec 'of climate change, such as coral bleaching ( reduced coral growth rates due to increasel ocean acidity. Tackling the local threats firs will buy time for the reefs until the global community can reduce greenhouse gas em: sions. "Across the Coral Triangle region, coastal communities depend on coral reefs for foo( livelihood and protection from waves durir storms, but the threats to reefs in this regie are incredibly high," says Lauretta Burke, senior associate at World Resources Institu (WRI) and a lead author of the report. "Reefs are resflient. They can recover fron coral bleaching and other impacts - particu larly if other threats are low. The benefits rE provide are at risk, which is why concerted action to mitigate threats to reefs across thE Coral Triangle region is so important." The report was developed by the USbased WRI in collaboration with USAIDCor Triangle Support Partnership, a consortium ofWWF, The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International, that is assisting the six Coral Triangle governments in imple menting their regional and national Coral Triangle Initiative plans of action. Founded by the six countries in 2009, the Coral Triangle Initiative intends to improve fisheries management in the region, build a network of marine protected areas, help thl local people adapt to climate change, and protect endangered marine species. - Tan ChengU