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International Trade of Coral Reef Species:
A Key Issue for ICRI
Barbara Best
U.S. Agency for International Development
• Overview of international trade and coral reefs
• CITES - corals and coral products
• CITES COP and upcoming issues
• ICRI’s involvement in trade issues
• International
• Ethical concerns - wild animal and pet trade
• Largely unregulated trade; illegal, unreported
Contribution of International Trade
to Coral Reef Crisis
 Over 90% of reefs are missing some species of
high economic value (Reef Check)
 Overfishing and Destructive Fishing are principal
threats to reefs in SE Asia - Indonesia, Philippines
(WRI Reefs at Risk)
 Localized depletion of major groups, rare animals
 Impacts on remote reefs
Major Issues
• Trade drives destructive and over-fishing
- Use of poisons (cyanide)
- Removal of reef base (live rock), essential fish habitat
- Unsustainable collection, targeted groups, rare animals
- Ecosystem impacts
• Collecting from deeper reefs
• Expanding ornamental trade, commercial uses
- home, office, restaurant, public aquaria
• Ethical concerns - wild animal and pet trade
• Largely unregulated trade; illegal, unreported
Socio-economic Consequences of
Destructive/Unsustainable Fishing
 Reduces value of reefs to local communities
 Threatens food security and livelihoods
 Few incentives for long-term sustainable use:
- highly mobile, few benefits for communities
 Health impacts on divers/collectors:
- paralysis/death from the “bends”
- paralysis in 20% of divers, 4% mortality
Trade is Driven by “Consumer” Demand
“To buy or not to buy,
To import or not to import,
To collect or not to collect,
These are some of the questions.”
 Exporting and importing countries
share responsibility
International Trade
Live food fish trade
 to Asian markets
Medicinal/food trades
Marine ornamental trade  to U.S. markets
U.S. major consumer for aquarium trade
- live coral, marine fishes, live rock
U.S. major consumer for curio, jewelry trade
- coral skeletons, precious corals, shells
Global Trade Analysis by WCMC:
Global Marine Aquarium Database
•
20 - 24 Million fish in trade each year
– 1,470 species
– Major exporters = Philippines, Indonesia, Solomon Islands,
–
•
Sri Lanka
Major importers = U.S., EU, Japan
11 - 12 Million corals in trade each year
– 140 species stony corals each year, 60 species of soft corals
– Major exporters = Indonesia, Fiji
– Major importers = U.S., EU, Japan, Canada
U.S. Role in Aquarium Trade
U.S. imports:
Trade in Live Coral: Importing Countries
Volume (thousands of colonies)
700
600
500
Other
Canada
Asia
Europe
United States
400
~ 80% of all live corals.
~ 95% of the “live rock”
~ 50% (8 million) marine
aquarium fish per year.
300
200
100
0
1988 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 1998
~ Concerns: over fishing,
cyanide, handling,
transport practices.
U.S. Efforts to Address
International Trade Impacts
 Promote awareness/action in international arena
 Reduce use of poisons
 Reduce spread of cyanide use - East Africa, Pacific
 Strengthen management, enforcement capacity
 Strengthen environmental awareness and change
 Development assistance to 25 countries, $40 M/yr
 Development assistance undermined by
economic incentives of trade
ICRI Decision, November 2003
• Mandate of Trade Working Group:
- Explore opportunities to highlight coral reef fishery
issues at 10th ICRS
- Examine opportunities for ICRI to engage in CITES
coral reef trade issues
- Examine role and responsibilities of Working Group
Mandate 1: Highlight Coral Reef
Fishery Issues at 10th ICRS
• Mini-symposia proposed and organized:
- “New Approaches to Sustaining Coral Reef Ecosystems
and their Fisheries” - Tom Hourigan, NOAA
- “Addressing Sustainability of the Ornamental Coral Reef
Species Trade” - Andy Bruckner, NOAA
- “Sustainable Use of Coral Reef Resources”
- Barbara Best, USAID
Mandate 2: Explore Opportunities for
ICRI to Engage in CITES Issues
• Upcoming coral reef proposals at CITES COP:
• Delist coral rock and coral substrate (not live rock)
• List humphead wrasse on Appendix II
• Use universal minimum size (10 cm) for seahorses
• Extend deadline for analyzing international trade in sea
cucumbers
-> Proposed International Trade Resolution
Convention on International Trade of
Endangered Species (CITES)
 Aims to regulate trade in threatened and endangered
species for protection of species and role in ecosystem
 Species should be listed if:
- trade exceeds that level that can be continued
- trade is reducing population so that other threats may affect them
- trade impacts its role in ecosystem
 No trade for species on Appendix I
 Non-detriment finding for species on Appendix II:
- maintain population of species throughout its range,
- maintain level that is consistent with its role in the ecosystem
CITES and Corals
 International concern about level and impact of trade on
corals lead to listing of corals and coral products in 80’s
- coral sand, rock, substrate, rubble
 Appendix II listing of corals helped Philippines and
other countries control illegal exports of corals and
coral products, protect their reefs
 All stony corals listed through “look alike” clause
 Recently, coral sand and small coral rubble delisted
- Now, no monitoring or regulation of these products
International Trade Continues
 Aquarium trade continues to increase by 10-30% per yr
 Trade in live corals increased 400% since 1988
 Trade in live reef rock increased 1700% since 1988
 Over 2000 species estimated to be in trade
- most are not listed on CITES
 Over 400 coral reef species have been identified as
inappropriate species for aquaria
–do not survive well in aquaria or are highly poisonous
CITES and Fossil Coral
• CITES does not cover fossil specimens
• Are coral products “fossils”? Skeletal reef base
• UK commissioned study to define coral fossil
– Study recommended that coral products which were “buried” be
called “fossil”
– “Burial” could be by covering of coralline algae
• Objections to proposed “fossil” definition:
– No change in material (lithification, mineralization)
– Products still have functional role in ecosystem, habitat
• No consensus on definition within Coral Working Group
Recommendations of
Coral Working Group, April 2004
• Since no consensus on definition of fossil coral,
recommended that…
• Coral products be defined based upon packaging:
– “Coral substrate” if shipped submerged in seawater
– “Coral rock” if shipped dry
– “Live rock” if shipped moist
• Coral rock and coral substrate be considered as fossils
and exempt from CITES
• Live rock remain on Appendix II
U.S. Concerns over Recommendations
of Coral Working Group
• Definition is based upon “packaging” of product
– Only separate treatment of animal specimens in CITES that is
based on product description and packaging methods
• U.S. CITES Enforcement Authority sees enforcement
problems:
– Definition will provide opportunities to circumvent the intent of
CITES by shipping “live rock” dry and reconstituting it later
– Already seeing increase in shipments of coral rock
• May lead to further increase in trade and degradation of
coral reefs
Poster Abstract at 10th ICRS
• “An Evaluation of the Live Rock Fishery and its Consequences” Samasoni Sauni, Mecki Kronen , Aliti Vunisea, Lilian Fay Sauni
• Coral and coral reef fisheries were investigated in Fiji for localized
ecological effects of live rock fishery.
• Study found significant differences in habitat health between target
and non-targeted biotopes of extraction areas.
• Study found species-specific impacts on coralline algae feeders.
• Socioeconomic implications of the trade suggest short-term cash
benefits enjoyed by just a few participating households.
Mandate 3: Examine Potential Role and
Responsibility of Trade Working Group
• Yes, need for Trade Working Group
• Ongoing Discussions…
Protecting Reefs,
Conserving Biodiversity,
Helping People
Potential Solutions:
Importing Countries
 Assist source countries on achieving effective
management, institutional strengthening
 Create market incentives by shifting the
“burden of proof” of sustainable use
- Burden to prove that no harm done by those who profit
- Importing countries can use
creative trade measures and
require self-certification by
importers
Potential Solutions: Exporting Countries
 Require management plan before allowing
collection and export of any species
- we can not keep up with shifting trade
 Promote use of individual “concessions”
- strong stewardship incentive
 Establish cyanide testing facilities
- require random fish testing, paid by export fees
Explore use of replenishment reserves
- “Hawaii” major exporter of aquarium fish
Potential Solution: Mariculture
 Freshwater aquaria:
~ 2% wild,
98% cultured
 Marine aquaria:
~ 98% wild,
2% cultured
 Replace wild animals with maricultured
- only allow maricultured animals
 Promote mariculture in source country
- ensure benefits to local communities
- prevent release of exotic
or invasive animals, diseases
Potential Solutions?
Fish Replenishment Areas in Hawaii
 Top ten aquarium fish species  59% over 20 years
- fish collection increased 67%, 1993-1995
 Fish replenishment areas, west side of Big Island
- 30% of collection area set aside as no-take
 Area not sufficient for sustainability
 Explore setting aside higher area as reserves
 Explore use of individual concession areas
 Restrict collection to shallow waters
What Can You Do to Help Protect Reefs?
• Become an informed, responsible consumer and
educate others on the impacts of overfishing
• Promote scientific analysis and synthesis of
appropriate species and levels of collection:
– Determine “guidelines” for collection: limits, species
• Recommend more sustainable trade approaches and
policies, demonstration of sustainability
• Recommend that non-sustainable animals and
products, and inappropriate animals, be removed
from trade