WWF is calling for urgent protection of the South Pacific ‘Coral Triangle’ after the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species warned that several species from these critical spawning grounds as threatened with extinction.
75 per cent of the world's coral species are contained within the 'Coral Triangle' an area that spans Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. But coastal development, overfishing, unsustainable tourism and climate change are taking a heavy toll on the region.
The IUCN assessed 20 grouper species as threatened with extinction, including the squaretail coral grouper and humpback grouper, which are found throughout the Coral Triangle and are a popular luxury live food in Asian seafood restaurants. Other Coral Triangle species at risk of extinction, include green turtles (endangered), hawksbill turtles (critically endangered) and scalloped hammerheads (near threatened).
Dr Lida Pet Soede, Head of WWF's Coral Triangle Programme said: “The implications of loss of habitat and natural resources in the Coral Triangle are enormous in terms of the impact on ocean life globally and on regional livelihoods. This 'nursery of the seas' supports global populations of turtles and tuna, while 180 million people depend on its coasts and coastal resources for food security.”
Resource depletion rates in the Coral Triangle are high and accelerating due to the explosive growth of Asian fish markets and the insatiable demand for tuna and shrimp in the US, Europe and Japan. This is further compounded by the impacts of climate change and destructive fishing techniques, such as the use of explosives or cyanide to catch reef fish.
“The huge demand for live reef fish amongst wealthy consumers in China and in Chinese communities around the world is a major contributor to the overfishing of these species,” said Geoffrey Muldoon, programme leader for WWF's live reef fish work in the Coral Triangle.
“The squaretail coral grouper is an example of a species that cannot currently be farmed and therefore all fish are caught from the wild. In order for operators to meet increasing demand, many are resorting to targeting spawning aggregations, many of which are now disappearing from the Coral Triangle.”
