[ OUR OPINION ]
THE alarming results of the first global survey of the health of coral reefs magnifies the urgent need to protect Hawaii's marine ecosystem. Although more than 70 percent of the nation's coral reefs are in Hawaii, preservation isn't just a local issue, but one for the whole of the United States and the world. Reef protection needs
worldwide solutions
THE ISSUE Overfishing is the main cause of coral reef destruction, a global study shows.
The growing global appetite for seafood, efficient fishing equipment, commercial pressures and a hodgepodge of international policies have resulted in overfishing worldwide, which the survey found is severely damaging reef systems. Of the more than 1,000 coral reefs monitored since 1997, 95 percent have been harmed by overfishing, according to the study by the Institute of the Environment's Reef Check program at the University of California-Los Angeles. More damage has been done to coral reefs during the past 20 years than had been done in the previous 1,000.
The five-year survey, conducted in about 60 countries, counters the commercial fishing industry's contention that damage to the ocean ecosystem isn't due to its harvesting, but primarily to pollution, near-shore development and poor fishery management. Although pollutants and increased sediments from runoff also contribute, the study points the finger directly at overfishing.
At least four species hunted for food or aquariums are on the verge of extinction. When species that normally keep algae growth in check decrease, the algae smothers coral and kills entire reefs, damaging biodiversity and sending ripples through the ocean environment.
The study doesn't stand alone in its conclusions on overfishing. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the global fish catch, which averages close to 100 million tons a year, have reached or exceeded natural limits. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that up to 75 percent of global fish stocks are overfished. The Ocean Conservancy reports that as much as a third of the world's known fish species are threatened with extinction due to overfishing.
The number of poisonous algae blooms in the world's oceans and bays has tripled since 1984, causing fish kills, beach closings and economic losses. Coral reefs are valuable economic resources for Hawaii. A joint study by the University of Hawaii and the Department of Land & Natural Resources concluded that reefs generate $360 million a year in revenues. From tourist dive and snorkel excursions to fishing and research, the total value of reef systems was placed at $10 billion.
A national marine sanctuary established in 2000 will protect 84 million acres of ocean around the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. Although it will be the largest protected area in the United States, the ecosystem is but one. Without a comprehensive, enforceable plan in place worldwide, the planet's oceans are in peril.
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