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.