CORDIO Status Report 1999.pdf

Table 1. (Cont.)
Country Locations/Protected areas Management status Current threats
MALDIVES 15 protected sites Well managed. None known.
Reefs outside protected areas Relatively well managed (island resorts Dredging and construction, sewage.
manage their own reef areas).
Laws and regulations are
implemented.
Export of many marine species is
prohibited and harvesting is regulated.
PAKISTAN No protected areas. None. IUCN and BAP have identified Sedimentation, coral collection for
a need for a Marine and Coastal medicinal purposes and tourism.
Protected Area Project.
Table 2. Status of reefs in South Asia (update from 1995)
Bangladesh India Maldives Pakistan Sri Lanka
Continuing major impacts
from human activities
such as coral mining,
collection of souvenirs,
pollution, increased
sedimentation due to
mangrove destruction
and siltation from major
rivers.
Reefs around
St Martin’s Island
continue to degrade.
Whether coral reefs
around St Martin’s Island
were bleached is not
known.
Damaging activities such
as coral mining, souvenir
hunting, destructive
fishing, pollution, and
increased sedimentation
continue to degrade
reefs.
The 1998 bleaching event
caused extensive damage
to reefs in the Gulf of
Mannar region,
Lakshadweep and
Andaman Islands.
Relatively well managed,
except some development
activities where
EIA and monitoring has
not been carried out
according to the laws.
Also, dredging of boat
harbours and reclamation
for development increase
sedimentation and cause
damage to reefs. The
1998 bleaching event
caused extensive damage
to coral reefs in many
atolls, and was observed
to depths of about 30 m.
Shallow reefs lost almost
90% of their live coral
cover. Corals that were
completely destroyed
were mainly branching
and tabulate Acropora spp,
Echinopora spp and
Pocillopora spp.
No new information.
Very little has been
investigated.
Damaging activities such as
coral mining, souvenir
hunting, uncontrolled
harvesting, destructive
fishing practices, tourism
impact, pollution and
increased sedimentation
continue to degrade reefs.
The 1998 bleaching event
caused extensive damage
to coral reefs. Shallow
fringing reefs lost nearly 90%
of their live coral cover and
bleached corals were
observed to a depth of 42 m
along the east coast.
Corals that were completely
destroyed were mainly
branching and tabulate
Acropora spp, Echinopora spp.
and Pocillopora spp. The
fringing reef around Pigeon
Islands in Trincomalee on the
northeast coast was not
affected, while reefs at
Batticoloa on the east
coast were.
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