#Status of Coral Reefs 2002 - International Coral Reef Action Network

Status of Coral Reefs in South Asia
was mainly due to Acropora, Hydnophora, Galaxea, Favia and Favites species. The
Weligama reef in the south also had encouraging recovery of branching Acropora after
1998, however this reef is being damaged by ornamental fish collectors operating amongst
the live corals. Live coral cover was 21%, plus 28% Halimeda cover. The number of new
coral recruits was 4.8 per m 2 .
The Pigeon Islands in Trincomalee largely escaped the 1998 bleaching, but were damaged
by a storm surge and cyclone in 2000, however some recovery has been observed. Crownof-thorns
starfish continue to be a problem and large numbers of local visitors are also
damaging the reefs. Coral on the offshore reefs below 10 to 15m remain healthy.
CORAL REEF FISHERIES
There is little information on fisheries in this region, although they are of great
importance to local communities and economies. Substantial information is available on
the fisheries of Chagos, which is a well protected fisheries area in comparison with much
of the Indian Ocean, with a permanent and active fisheries protection vessel. The tuna
fishery is licensed, and a modest reef fishery is permitted and regulated. Elsewhere, most
fisheries are for subsistence, hence data are not gathered for national fisheries statistics.
This is also the case for marine ornamental fisheries, which are important in the Maldives
and Sri Lanka.
Coral reefs provide approximately 25% of the marine fish catch in India, e.g. the annual
catch in the Gulf of Mannar is 45,000metric tonnes per year, mostly demersal fish with
some reef fish. The collection of sponges, gorgonians, corals, molluscs and shark fins was
banned here and elsewhere in India in July 2001 as a reef conservation measure. In the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the fish catch is around 26,550mt, mostly pelagic fishes
including sardines. Tuna are the major fishery in the Lakshadweep and the Maldives and
the live bait sprat are caught in coral reef lagoons. Recently a grouper fishery commenced
in the Maldives for the live food fish trade and also to supply tourist resorts. Shark (for the
fins) and sea cucumbers are fished exclusively for export. In Sri Lanka, the bulk of fishery
products are consumed in local communities, thus there are poor statistics. The export
fishery includes lobsters, sea cucumber, sacred chanks and ornamental fish. Reef fish are
not differentiated in fisheries statistics, but are included as ‘rockfish’ within the coastal
fisheries which average from 9,000 to 10,000mt each year (10,585mt in 1994; 9,100mt in
1997; 9,200mt in 1998). The aquarium trade accounts for 40-50% of the US $6.6 million
export trade. Export of molluscs is also a major component. The main reef fishery in
Bangladesh is small-scale using bottom-weighted gill nets and hook and line. There are
also export fisheries for sea cucumber and molluscs.
THREATS TO CORAL REEFS AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES
The region can be divided into two groups when considering threats to coral reefs:
Chagos, the Maldives and the Indian Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are
relatively remote from human impacts; whereas the coastal reefs off Bangladesh, India,
and Sri Lanka are heavily impacted by human activities with these increasing as
populations and economies increase.
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