Indonesia Limiting Coral Export

Indonesia, currently the largest exporter of coral and other reef invertebrates for the hobby in the US is apparently initiating quotas that determine what coral species and how many can be exported from the country. From the Embassy of Indonesia:

"The government plans to set a quota on coral trading to ensure the sustainability of marine biodiversity, a minister revealed Monday. “Coral reefs are very important for our country, as it is located within *the* Coral Triangle area,” Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Fredy Numberi told a press conference during a symposium on coral reef management.

The quota system was recommended by the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Fredy said. It was reported that a piece of coral is sold for Rp 1,000 (10 US cents) to Rp 3,000 while the replacement of the same coral would cost between Rp 5,000 and Rp 10,000.

It takes at least one year for a coral reef to grow by one centimeter.

A 2003 Johns Hopkins University study revealed Indonesia’s 85,000-square-kilometer coral reef area is home to a third of the world’s coral and a quarter of its fish species. Indonesia has fallen victim to destructive fishing, unregulated tourism and climatic changes, as well as coral trading. Data from 414 reef monitoring stations in 2000 found that only six percent of Indonesia’s coral reefs are in excellent condition, while 24 percent are in good condition, and about 70 percent are only in poor to fair condition."

This is good news for the coral reef ecology of Indonesia! As I've stated before, the hobby's 'easy-access' to relatively cheap corals and other reef invertebrates will either be nixed by legislation and government control (either by the US or foreign countries, in this case Indonesia) or by rising gas prices.

Although hardly a black-and-white issue, due to the fact that the US coral trade allows those in poorer countries to provide food for their families, the article is correct in detailing the destruction wrought by misinformed and/or uncaring collectors. In an issue where there is no hard-and-fast right and wrong, either law or the market will step in eventually. 71% of imported corals and other reef invertebrates currently hail from Indonesia, according to CITES.

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