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