Bengkulu coral reef damaged

BENGKULU, Bengkulu: Coral reefs near Tikus and Enggano islands here have been seriously damaged due to fish bombing, Antara reported yesterday.

A local fisheries official, Roebimin Wibisono, said the destruction had pushed much marine life to the brink of extinction.

"Too much damage to the coral reef could cause the extinction of some species," he said.

It would take a long time for the coral to grow back, he added.

"Research shows that new coral grows at a rate of one centimeter every 11 years," he said.

Roebimin said his office had been trying to replace the destroyed reef with a manmade reef called "rumpon locally.

So far there have been 19 rumpons in the locations where the coral has been damaged.