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Live Coral Fishery for Aquaria in Fiji: Sustainability and Management

Edward R. Lovell, School of Islands and Oceans, University of the South Pacific

Regional Workshop on CITES Non-Detriment Findings for Marine Listed Species May 17-20, 2010

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The Live Coral Resource

Coastal peoples need to make use of their marine resources. Live coral represents a resource that is punder utilized in terms of sustainability.

Recent resource assessments have indicate high abundance of commercially important species.

Exports are few when compared to the natural abundanceExports are few when compared to the natural abundance & the small aquarium size corals (< 15cm) are of littleimpact in terms of the reduction of living coral cover.

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The CITES management of this resource has been inappropriately restrictive resulting in detriment to the local and national economy.

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Aquarium Fishery Products

1) Live coral is not curio coral2) Not other aquarium organisms (fish &

mobile invertebrates)3) Not live rock

4) It i fi h lik th4) It is a fishery like any other

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Nature of live coral collections

a) Size limitation - small (3cm-12cm colony diameter) so removal of living coral cover small.

b) f ll i i i i llb) Large reef collection areas - minimizes overall impact.

c) High diversity of reefs and habitats in the collection areas.

d) Customary Fishing Rights Area limits collection to ad) Customary Fishing Rights Area, limits collection to a known area.

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e) ‘one operator, one area’ allows conservation management

f) Vast areas of uncollected reef ensure recruitment.

g) % corals collected very small compared to:total number of the corals eligible for collection much smaller percentage of all corals on the reef.

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Resource and collection area management plans

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25 reports on the aquarium trade in Fiji

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Recent history:Self imposed quota system –Tardy legislation: signatory 1998, legislation 2002Placate the NDF requirement to allow tradeq

Lack of the non-detriment finding resulted SC, MA mandating reduction of quotas by 25% /year with economic impacts at the local and national level.

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Fiji’s Dept. of Fisheries & Institute of Marine Resources (IMR), University of the South Pacific

Resource assessment as the basis for a non-detriment finding (NDF) Aquarium Fish, Fiji & Walt Smith Intl.

Methodology approved by the CITES Scientific Council. Two field teams capable of coral identification & survey.

S l d h   f fl   i hi   h   ll i     i         Sampled the reef flat within the collecting area using 5 m x  20m transects and assessing coral colony numbers, colony sizes and percentage of living cover.

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Walt Smith International NW Viti Levu

Aquarium Fish Fiji: Beqa Lagoon1010

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Aquarium Fish Fiji survey

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Ree

f Si

te

% Substrate Composition

Livi

ng H

ard

Cor

al

Acr

opor

a

Non

-Acr

opor

a

Abi

otic

, B

enth

os,

Cor

allin

e al

gae

Bommie Nth of 47 22 25 53Frigate pass(1) 49 22 27 51(2) 57 25 32 43Inside Frigate passage 48 34 14 52

Kauviti Rf. 40 14 26 60Kayamotu Rf. 30 16 14 70Naitata Rf. 56 11 45 44Northeast Beqa I. 69 13 56 31Ravodrau Rf. (1) 53 11 42 47

Ravodrau Rf. (2) 43 8 35 57

Shark Rf. 46 9 37 54Valei Rf. 58 18 40 42Vatusolo Rf. 73 34 29 27Overall average 51 18 33 49

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CITES export categories

Col

onie

s es

timat

ed in

co

llect

ing

area

No.

of

colo

nies

ex

port

ed in

20

07

% (e

xpor

ted

vs.

abun

danc

e)

Acropora spp. 73,300,336 10,360 0.014Porites spp. 38,371,585 528 0.001pp , ,Pocillopora spp. 33,519,251 929 0.003Favites spp. 15,752,967 592 0.004Platygyra spp. 14,291,764 961 0.007Montipora spp. 12,810,545 755 0.006Pavona spp. 12,290,216 0 0.000S i t h t i 8 041 251 1 488 0 019Seriatopora hystrix 8,041,251 1,488 0.019Favia spp. 7,826,442 1,111 0.014Turbinaria spp. 6,793,906 590 0.009Goniastrea spp. 5,954,752 1,008 0.017Fungia spp. 5,784,762 0 0.000Galaxea fascicularis 5,344,399 377 0.007 1313

Montastrea spp. 5,167,769 0 0.000

CITES export categories

Col

onie

s es

timat

ed in

co

llect

ing

area

No.

of c

olon

ies

expo

rted

in

2007

% (e

xpor

ted

vs.

abun

danc

e)

pp , ,Hydnophora rigida 4,398,521 517 0.012Merulina ampliata 4,201,175 0 0.000Echinopora spp. 3,992,497 0 0.000Millepora spp. 3,159,877 0 0.000Stylophora spp. 2,456,164 518 0.021Leptoria phrygia 2,395,338 0 0.000Merulina scabricula 1,966,740 280 0.014, ,Polyphyllia talpina 1,775,923 0 0.000Symphyllia spp. 1,560,688 0 0.000Psammocora 1,524,122 0 0.000Tubipora musica 1,143,246 2,641 0.231Leptastrea spp. 1,054,169 0 0.000Mycediumelephantotus

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Coral numbers and % of corals collected in 2006(Walt Smith International).

Lovell & McLardy 2008

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Table 5. Estimates of coral numbers and percentages of corals collected for the entire collecting area for Aquarium Fish Fiji (AFF) in 2006.

Coral Reef Area and Exports

Collectible corals

Non-collectible

corals

Total coral number

Estimated coral numbers 8,272,800 33,003,000 41,275,800Percentage of corals in each category

20.0 80.0 -

Number of corals exported 48,683 - -in 2006 Coral exports as a percentage of collectible, and total coral

0.59% 0.12%

Lovell & McLardy 2008

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36 genera incl. 81 species not in quota27 genera and 28 species level taxa

Fiji’s quota

g p11 generic categories have 0 quota

Challenge: to convert species abundance from the resource assessment to quota figures.

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figures.

Figures need to be calculated for each collecting area.

Requires a formula or guidelines.

Quota ranking system: proposed by the 2004 NDF meeting in Suva (Parry-Jones R. 2004).

Scale 0%=3% for each taxa dependent on accumulated pointsPoints scored for :Points scored for :

•Size of collecting area; •State of luxuriance;•Colony form;•Growth rate;•Reproductive mode;p ;•Relative community abundance;•Vulnerability.

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Benefits of CITES convention in the conservation of fauna and flora:

Kudos for being on the CITES team.

Eligibility for trading with the European Union: Commercial and tourism benefits.

The composition of the SC and MA should provideThe composition of the SC and MA should provide varied viewpoints resulting in wise decisions.

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Keeping export records is required for quota compliance. Without those numbers there would be no comparison of our exports vs. field abundance.

Highlighting the nature of coral reefs and their coral assemblages through survey and monitoring.

An accurate description of the fishery2020

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Problems with the CITES convention in Fiji

The composition is designated by legislationThe composition is designated by legislation. Members are often unaware or non-expert regarding the issues.

Compliance expensive in terms of fees, employees time (e.g. meetings (SC, MA, CoP, Oceania,

k h ) ti f l t dworkshops), preparation of annual reports and permitting administration.

Loss of trade due to periodic bans and constraining quotas.

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The CITES conservation mindset appropriate for large, rare animals, but is applied to those which are highly abundant and reproductive.

Management bias due to NGO’s with conservation agenda neglecting the sustainable nature and benefits of the fishery.

This has resulted in a disconnect between theThis has resulted in a disconnect between the objectives of conservation and sustainable economic benefit, whether coastal people or the Nation.

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The Way Forward -Address the CITES related difficultiesGiving value to coral reefs is the best way to conserve them

CITES process must temper its conservation influences andCITES process must temper its conservation influences and being more supportive of this sustainable fishery

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