Certification called for coral reef exploitation
Certification called for coral reef exploitation
By Edith Hartanto
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Environmental experts here on Sunday
called to attention the rapid destruction of coral reefs in
Indonesian oceans, urging that certain standards and
certification be imposed on those engaged in the collection and
care of ornamental marine life.
Ketut Sarjana Putra, deputy director of the World Wide Fund
for Nature (WWF) for the Wallacea Bioregion, told The Jakarta
Post on Sunday that a 1999 survey from Coral Reef Indonesia
indicated that out of eight areas monitored by 33 stations only
5.56% coral reefs are in good condition.
The eight areas are Riung, Bali, Kepulauan Seribu, Teluk
Lampung, Makassar, Karimunjawa, Riau and Pelabuhan Ratu.
Speaking on the eve of the opening of the ninth International
Coral Reef Symposium due to begin here on Monday, Ketut noted
that the most worrying sign is that in certain waters where coral
reef damage is very high, there are no longer ornamental fishes
such as butterfly fish, trigger fish, angel fish and clown fish.
"Even the Napoleon wrasse fish can only be found in two
locations, Bali and Karimunjawa. Most of those ornamental fishes
have been harshly exploited," he added.
Reef Check Indonesia is a monitoring program coordinated by
WWF in cooperation with other non-governmental organizations,
universities and dive operators and the Indonesian Institute of
Science (LIPI).
"All this time people only think on how to get quick results
but they are doing it by destroying the nature. Commercial
fishermen often use cyanide and other chemical poisons to stun
and capture reef fishes," Ketut said.
Another contributing factor to the destruction of coral reefs
is the removal of corals for producing construction material or
souvenirs.
Indonesia, with its large ocean area hosts around 42,000
square kilometers of coral reef cover or about 16.5 percent of
the world's coral reef cover.
Certification
The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) along with the WWF and
related stakeholders in marine ornamental trade such as AKKI
(Indonesian Association of Coral Reefs and Fish) are currently
working on standards and certification for products and industry
operators.
It is believed that some 80 percent of the world's marine
ornamental fish supplies come from the Indonesian and Philippine
archipelagos.
An estimated of 330,000 pounds of cyanide are sprayed on
Philippine coral reefs alone.
The standards being drafted are focused in three areas:
ecosystem management which will highlight the need to balance the
exploitation of coral reefs and the reef's own growth; fishing
and collection practices; and transportation and handling as they
concern live creatures.
The Ninth International Conference on Coral Reefs will be
officially opened by Minister of Sea Exploration Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja and State Minister of Environment Sonny Keraf on
Monday.