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

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002
operated with a single fiscal year budget, there are often breaks in the regular monitoring,
or there is monitoring for a specific impact, such as assessing red soil runoff, COTS or
bleaching etc. The survey results are usually published internally and not for public access.
Monitoring by research scientists is usually for specific projects and tends to have a longer
period than management programs. However, recent scientific focus on degradation of
coral reefs is contributing to raising public awareness by making research data available.
The Environment Agency of Japan conducted a broad scale survey on coral in all of Japan
during 1989 to 1992. Long term monitoring has been continued in Sekisei Lagoon, which is
a part of Iriomote National Park, after it was initiated to survey a COTS outbreak in the
Yaeyama Marine Park Research Station in 1983. The monitoring has been extended to
Ishigaki Island since 1998. Spot check methods are employed in this monitoring on 123 sites
in Sekisei Lagoon and 75 sites around Ishigaki Island. Coral cover, type of coral community,
maximum diameter of tabulate Acropora and number of COTs are recorded during 15
minutes snorkelling at each site. Reef Check, the Coral Network and other individual groups
are also involved. Community members in the Yaeyama area, between Ishigaki Island and
Iriomote Island, conduct voluntary monitoring of their own reefs to observe trends. Ishigaki
is a coordination centre for coral reef research, monitoring and conservation in Japan and
eastern Asia.
Fishing and diving associations have declared protected areas from diving and anchor damage
in the Kerama Islands. Another fishing association protects an emperor fish spawning
ground in the Yaeyama area. Those are a few cases of protected areas being managed by local
communities. The International Coral Reef Research and Monitoring Center, established in
Ishigaki, Okinawa by the Ministry of Environment in 2000, is the Node for East Asia and
national node of Japan for the GCRMN. The centre is still trying to establish the system of
information gathering on coral reefs in Japan and the East Asian region.
In Taiwan, most of the reef areas are already within national parks or national scenic
areas. The management is entrusted in the following Authorities: Kenting National Park
in South Taiwan; the NE Coast National Scenic Area; the East Coast National Scenic Area;
and Penghu National Scenic Area. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of this management is
poor, because these authorities lack adequate laws to protect the reefs and enforce existing
laws. However, both scientists and sectors of the government are encouraging the
conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs and there are plans to establish MPAs. The
scientific and local communities formed the Taiwanese Coral Reef Society in 1997, which
is helping to raise public awareness about the threats to coral reefs and their value to
Taiwan. This society has implemented Reef Check surveys from 1997 to the present and
details can be found at http://www.tcrs.org.tw. Another long-term ecological research
program was launched in 2001 to study and monitor the changes of coral reefs in
southern Taiwan. The National Scenic Council of the Taiwanese government sponsored
this program and data are managed by the Institute of Zoology, Academic Sinica
(http://140.117.92.194/lter). In addition, a community-based management project was
established in 2000 at Lutao, an offshore island in SE Taiwan and appears to be the first
example of effective management in Taiwan. A committee that contains representatives of
local fishermen, dive shops and resort owners, and the local government runs the project
and sets the rules that govern reef use.
160