The six governments of the Coral Triangle – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste – have agreed to establish a new international partnership to conserve coral reefs and the species and fisheries they support. In an unprecedented show of unity in an area spanning 5.7 million square kilometres, the Coral Triangle countries agreed on a coordinated approach for protecting marine resources from threats such as climate change, overfishing, illegal fishing, unsustainable coastal development, and pollution which are depleting fish stocks, killing mangroves, and degrading reef systems.

Covering only 2% of the world’s ocean, the Coral Triangle contains 76% of all known coral species and thus brims with an extraordinary variety of fish. Over 120 million people directly depend on these seas for their food and income; the value of fisheries, tourism and shoreline protection from coral reefs, mangroves and associated habitats is estimated at US$2.3 billion annually. This area also supports the world’s largest tuna fisheries, which generate billions of dollars in global income every year. Healthy reef systems also help buffer coastal communities from severe storms and tsunamis. Protection of reefs and mangroves in the Coral Triangle will be vital to help people in these countries adapt to increasing storm severity, an effect of climate change.

The six governments have agreed to develop a plan of action for implementing this new Initiative that will include work with external partners to implement strategies on marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries management, protection of threatened species, and climate change adaptation. A Coral Triangle Summit was also endorsed, where leaders of the six Coral Triangle governments can adopt a CTI Plan of Action.

The world’s three largest conservation organisations, The Nature Conservancy, WWF and Conservation International, welcomed the agreement and pledged half a million U.S. dollars to support initial start-up activities for the Initiative.

While in Bali, the six governments also met with potential partners in this initiative, including tourism and fishing companies, other governments such as the United States and Australia, and the Global Environment Facility and Asian Development Bank, to discuss cooperative actions to protect the Coral Triangle.

“WWF, The Nature Conservancy and Conservation International stand united and ready to participate as full partners in this great effort by providing financial support for stakeholder consultations in the six countries, organising a CTI Donors Roundtable in 2008 to mobilize large-scale public and private funding needed, and initiating sustainable funding strategies for marine protected area networks across the Coral Triangle region,” said James Leape, Director General of WWF.

The Coral Triangle, which matches the richness and diversity of the Amazon rainforest, is home to:

  • 75% of all coral species known to science;

  • More than 3,000 species of reef fish and commercially valuable pelagic, or open ocean, species including yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, bigeye tuna, bumphead parrotfish, needlefish, Napoleon wrasse, and barracuda;

  • 6 of the 7 species of marine turtles including green, hawksbill, olive ridley, leatherback, loggerhead and flatback;

  • Migrating populations of whale sharks measuring up to about 20m, and massive manta rays, which are attracted to the region abundant plankton;

  • Marine mammals such as 22 species of dolphin (including spinner, spotted, bottlenose, and the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin), the endangered dugong or seacow, rare Bryde’s whale, short-finned pilot whale, sperm and dwarf sperm whale, humpback and Cuvier’s beaked whale.

This story is adapted from a story by the three conservation groups noted above entitled Major steps taken to protect the Coral Triangle datelined Nusa Dua, Bali, 10 Dec 2007. 2008 has been designated the International Year of the Reef, with the goals of strengthening awareness of the ecological, economic, social and cultural value of coral reefs and associated ecosystems; improving understanding of the threats to reef and generating practical and innovative solutions to reduce these threats; and generating action at all levels to develop and implement effective management strategies for conservation and sustainable use. On March 14, 2008, the Asia Development Bank announced it would provide a $1.5 million grant for environmentalists to work with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to protect the region's seas and rainforests - a region that includes the Coral Triangle.

 

 

 


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