Post by martin on Nov 11, 2004 13:35:30 GMT -5
Results released today from the most detailed analysis of threats to Southeast Asia's coral reefs indicate that Vietnam's coral reefs are among the most threatened in the region.
Using sophisticated computer software and a new index of threats, the scientists estimate that as much as 96 percent of Vietnam's reefs are severely threatened by human activities, compared with the 88 percent average for Southeast Asia. The main threats are destructive fishing, overfishing, and sedimentation and pollution from land-based sources.
"Coral reef condition in Vietnam is declining," said Lauretta Burke, a co-author of Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia (RRSEA). "Although our report indicates that the picture is pretty grim, it will provide Vietnam's resource managers and government officials with the kind of information that they need to effectively manage their coral reefs."
The report is part of a unique collaboration between 35 scientists from Vietnam, other Asian countries, the US, Australia, and the UK, who compiled a vast database on the region's coral reefs. It is published by WRI, the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), ICLARM - The World Fish Center, and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN).
Southeast Asia is considered the global epicenter of marine diversity. Its nearly 100,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, or 34 percent of the world's total, house over 600 of the 800 reef-building coral species in the world. The sustainable value of Southeast Asia's coral reef fisheries alone is estimated at US$2.4 billion annually. The value is higher if ecosystem services like tourism and shoreline protection are included.
According to the report, over 90 percent of the coral reefs in Cambodia, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, and the Spratly Islands are threatened. Vietnam has an estimated 1,122 square kilometers of reefs and about 300 species can be found in its waters. Studies conducted between 1994 and 1997 indicate than only one percent of the country's reefs can be classified as in excellent condition.
The authors based their conclusions on a set of new standardized indicators that take into account such threats as coastal development, overfishing, destructive fishing, marine pollution, and sedimentation and pollution from inland activities. These indicators form the Reefs at Risk Threat Index, which identifies areas most at risk and highlights the linkages between human activities and reef condition.
The report concludes that overfishing is the most pervasive threat to coral reefs in Southeast Asia. About 64 percent of Southeast Asia's reefs are threatened by overfishing, which also threatens more than 60 percent of Vietnam's reefs. "If fishing in Southeast Asia is not reduced to more sustainable levels, both coral reefs and food security will be further imperiled," said Mark Spalding, a co-author of the report and an organizer of ICRAN, a global partnership aimed at halting reversing the decline of the world's coral reefs.
Destructive fishing practices, like the use of poison and dynamites, threaten as much as 85 percent of Vietnam's reefs. Overfishing threatens more than 60 percent while sediment from upland sources is estimated to threaten 50 percent of Vietnam's reefs.
The report acknowledges that Vietnam is trying to address the problem, with two national strategic plans focusing on fisheries and tourism. The government hopes to establish models for sustainable tourism in the Con Dao, Cat Ba, and Ha Long Bay National Parks. The report recommends the following:
* Expand the protected areas network for coral reefs. Currently, only 8 percent of the region's reefs are in marine protected areas. Vietnam hopes to increase its protected reefs from 1,528 to 3,118 hectares.
* Reduce overfishing through improved management and the development of alternative livelihoods for fishers. Decreased fishing effort would result in higher catches and incomes for those who still choose to fish.
* Regulate the international trade in live reef organisms. The total value of the trade in live reef fish exceeds US$1 billion per year, with Southeast Asia supplying up to 85 percent of the fish in the aquarium trade and nearly all of the live reef food fish. The report encourages the establishment of an information system for the live reef fish trade in Vietnam so that proper policies can be developed for its management.
* Improve the management of existing marine protected areas, which will require political and financial commitments from government, private organizations, and the tourism industry.
"Effective management is key to maintaining coastal resources, but it is inadequate across much of Southeast Asia," said Elizabeth Selig, co-author of the report. There are 646 marine protected areas in the region, but of the 332 whose management status could be determined, only 14 percent were rated as effectively managed.
The report finds that although management requires additional investments, the cost of inaction is even higher. In Indonesia and the Philippines, current levels of blast fishing, overfishing, and sedimentation could cost more than US$ 2.6 billion and US$ 2.5 billion, respectively over 20 years.
Funds for the Reefs at Risk project are provided by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the United Nations Foundation (UNF), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Using sophisticated computer software and a new index of threats, the scientists estimate that as much as 96 percent of Vietnam's reefs are severely threatened by human activities, compared with the 88 percent average for Southeast Asia. The main threats are destructive fishing, overfishing, and sedimentation and pollution from land-based sources.
"Coral reef condition in Vietnam is declining," said Lauretta Burke, a co-author of Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia (RRSEA). "Although our report indicates that the picture is pretty grim, it will provide Vietnam's resource managers and government officials with the kind of information that they need to effectively manage their coral reefs."
The report is part of a unique collaboration between 35 scientists from Vietnam, other Asian countries, the US, Australia, and the UK, who compiled a vast database on the region's coral reefs. It is published by WRI, the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), ICLARM - The World Fish Center, and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN).
Southeast Asia is considered the global epicenter of marine diversity. Its nearly 100,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, or 34 percent of the world's total, house over 600 of the 800 reef-building coral species in the world. The sustainable value of Southeast Asia's coral reef fisheries alone is estimated at US$2.4 billion annually. The value is higher if ecosystem services like tourism and shoreline protection are included.
According to the report, over 90 percent of the coral reefs in Cambodia, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, and the Spratly Islands are threatened. Vietnam has an estimated 1,122 square kilometers of reefs and about 300 species can be found in its waters. Studies conducted between 1994 and 1997 indicate than only one percent of the country's reefs can be classified as in excellent condition.
The authors based their conclusions on a set of new standardized indicators that take into account such threats as coastal development, overfishing, destructive fishing, marine pollution, and sedimentation and pollution from inland activities. These indicators form the Reefs at Risk Threat Index, which identifies areas most at risk and highlights the linkages between human activities and reef condition.
The report concludes that overfishing is the most pervasive threat to coral reefs in Southeast Asia. About 64 percent of Southeast Asia's reefs are threatened by overfishing, which also threatens more than 60 percent of Vietnam's reefs. "If fishing in Southeast Asia is not reduced to more sustainable levels, both coral reefs and food security will be further imperiled," said Mark Spalding, a co-author of the report and an organizer of ICRAN, a global partnership aimed at halting reversing the decline of the world's coral reefs.
Destructive fishing practices, like the use of poison and dynamites, threaten as much as 85 percent of Vietnam's reefs. Overfishing threatens more than 60 percent while sediment from upland sources is estimated to threaten 50 percent of Vietnam's reefs.
The report acknowledges that Vietnam is trying to address the problem, with two national strategic plans focusing on fisheries and tourism. The government hopes to establish models for sustainable tourism in the Con Dao, Cat Ba, and Ha Long Bay National Parks. The report recommends the following:
* Expand the protected areas network for coral reefs. Currently, only 8 percent of the region's reefs are in marine protected areas. Vietnam hopes to increase its protected reefs from 1,528 to 3,118 hectares.
* Reduce overfishing through improved management and the development of alternative livelihoods for fishers. Decreased fishing effort would result in higher catches and incomes for those who still choose to fish.
* Regulate the international trade in live reef organisms. The total value of the trade in live reef fish exceeds US$1 billion per year, with Southeast Asia supplying up to 85 percent of the fish in the aquarium trade and nearly all of the live reef food fish. The report encourages the establishment of an information system for the live reef fish trade in Vietnam so that proper policies can be developed for its management.
* Improve the management of existing marine protected areas, which will require political and financial commitments from government, private organizations, and the tourism industry.
"Effective management is key to maintaining coastal resources, but it is inadequate across much of Southeast Asia," said Elizabeth Selig, co-author of the report. There are 646 marine protected areas in the region, but of the 332 whose management status could be determined, only 14 percent were rated as effectively managed.
The report finds that although management requires additional investments, the cost of inaction is even higher. In Indonesia and the Philippines, current levels of blast fishing, overfishing, and sedimentation could cost more than US$ 2.6 billion and US$ 2.5 billion, respectively over 20 years.
Funds for the Reefs at Risk project are provided by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the United Nations Foundation (UNF), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).