International Trade of Coral Reef Species: A Key Issue for ICRI

1. International Trade of Coral Reef Species:A Key Issue for ICRI Barbara Best U.S. Agency for International Development

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. U.S. Role in Aquarium Trade • U.S. imports: • ~ 80% of all live corals. • ~ 95% of the “live rock” • ~ 50% (8 million) marine aquarium fish per year. • ~ Concerns: over fishing, cyanide, handling, transport practices.

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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.

21. Mandate 3: Examine Potential Role and Responsibility of Trade Working Group • Yes, need for Trade Working Group • Ongoing Discussions…

22. Protecting Reefs, Conserving Biodiversity, Helping People

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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