Growing market demand worsens coral reef exploitation

Growing market demand worsens coral reef exploitation

By Bambang Parlupi

JAKARTA (JP): Large aquariums decorated with living coral and
filled with marine biota have now become trendy among the rich,
which they display at their houses and offices.

Each aquarium, which usually contains massive coral pieces,
foliose corals, branching corals and various kinds of ornamental
fish, might cost up to Rp 50 million.

A fish seller in the Menteng area of Central Jakarta said that
the prices of living corals were between Rp 100,000 and Rp
250,000 each.

Coral reef biota, such as mollusks, are also in high demand.
For instance, a seahorse is priced at between Rp 25,000 and Rp
65,000, a coral worm Rp 60,000, a starfish Rp 20,000, a cloud
fish between Rp 5,000 and Rp 15,000, and a sea-anemone at Rp
30,000. Dead and broken coral is also sold at Rp 2,500 a piece.

"Fish for consumption, ornamental fish and living coral are
among Indonesia's most exploited marine commodities," said M.
Putrawidjaja, International Marinelife Alliance Indonesia (IMA-
Indonesia)'s project manager.

Coral reef fish, such as groupers (Serranidae) and Napoleon
(Cheilinus undulatus), and lobsters have a very high market
value. Several popular species from the grouper family, such as
the tiger species (Epinephelus fuscogatus) and the rat species
(Cromileptis altivelis), fetch high prices on the export market.

According to Putrawidjaja, Indonesia has about 280 ornamental
fish species and 70 species of coral on the market. Hong Kong, he
said, is interested in fish for consumption, while Europe and the
United States prefer ornamental fish. Other biota, like sea
cucumbers, seahorses, clams and seaweed, are sold both at home
and exported.

Meanwhile, coral reefs are significantly exploited as a
building material, while in tourist areas they serve as souvenirs
along with some marine biota.

"The growing market demand for coral reef fish prompts
fishermen to practice dangerous fishing methods to target certain
species. Meanwhile, those which are not wanted, but are
'accidentally' caught using these methods, will simply be thrown
away," said Putrawidjaja.

In the past, Indonesian fishermen have applied environmentally
friendly fishing techniques using bubu, simple rattan traps, or
fishing rods and barrier nets for a long time. However, such
practices are gradually being abandoned with the lucrative and
definite results obtained by using explosives or poison.

Now, the fishermen prefer using potash or poison and
explosives, posing serious dangers to coral reefs and their
biota.

For instance, by spraying about 20 cc of potassium cyanide,
the fisherman will kill a 25-square-meter coral colony. The
affected colony will die between three and five months after
spraying. Meanwhile, the use of a 250 cc bottle-sized traditional
explosive can destroy a 10-square-meter coral colony.

Living corals for aquariums, however, are traditionally
collected by divers using simple tools like crowbars, chisels or
hammers. This method is also dangerous since, to obtain a piece
of coral measuring 10 cm x 10 cm, the diver will damage one
square meter of reef.

According to Putrawidjaja, unless these dangerous fishing
practices are controlled, the coral colonies, which take millions
of years to form, will all be destroyed within the next few
years.

Protecting shorelines

Coral reefs, along with mangrove forests and marshy land,
constitute a very important marine and coastal ecosystem.
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic nation, with 17,508
islands and a marine expanse of 5.8 million square kilometers, or
two thirds of the country's entire territory.

Mangroves and marshes are also essential for the protection of
shorelines from abrasion and function as a habitat for the
reproduction of diverse marine biota, including those living in
coral reefs.

Across the world, it is estimated that there are over a
million species of biota inhabiting coral reefs.

Based on data from the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI)
and the Coral Reef Rehabilitation and Management Program
(COREMAP), coral reef distribution in Indonesia covers around
60,000 square kilometers and most of them are in a critical
condition.

LIPI's Center for Oceanological Research and Development
discovered in its latest study that 6.2 percent of the country's
coral reefs are in excellent condition, 23.72 percent normal,
while 28.3 percent are damaged and 41.78 percent are severely
damaged.

Alternatives

Several alternatives are now available to help restore coral
reefs.

Coral and ornamental fish export standardization has been
introduced by independent agencies like MAC (the Marine Aquarium
Council). Their standards propose environmentally sound methods
for reducing coral death during handling or delivery.

A researcher from the Agency for Technological Application and
Assessment (BPPT), Muhamad Ilyas, has promoted several measures
to rescue coral reefs from further destruction.

"One of the technologies commonly used in various countries to
restore the function of coral reefs is the use of artificial
reefs," Muhamad, from the agency's marine survey technology
assessment group, told participants at a national marine seminar
recently.

Such technology, he said, was used in Rio Formosa Lagoon,
Portugal, in 1990. Among the materials used for the artificial
reefs are concrete, volcanic remains and even used tires, nets
and ship hulls.

"Currently, we are developing artificial reefs on the Seribu
islands," Muhamad said.

Coral reef destruction is faster than their restoration.

For instance, massive corals grow by between 0.2 cm and 4 cm
annually. Such growth is possible under adequate exposure to
sunlight, salinity and at a certain sea temperature. But the main
factor ensuring coral reef survival is the elimination of threats
posed by mankind.

The writer is an environmental activist