Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs in South Asia
Maldives
The most important reef fisheries in the Maldives are for live bait for tuna fishing (including
collection of silver sprat, blue sprat, fusiliers, cardinal fish, anchovies, damselfish and
silversides) and the aquarium fishery. The aquarium fishery is relatively small, with around
100 species of reef fish collected, but the trade has expanded steadily in the last 20 years
and there is now concern about over-exploitation. A quota system for harvesting and
export is in place. A grouper fishery has also been developed in recent years exploiting
some of the 40 species of grouper in the Maldives. The fishery initially began in the central
section but has now spread to every atoll and supplies the local tourism market as well as
export for the live restaurant trade. There is a shark fishery from some islands and 9 species
of sea cucumbers are fished exclusively for export.
Pakistan
Information is not available on inshore or offshore reef fisheries in Pakistan.
Sri Lanka
There are 3 distinct components of the reef fisheries in Sri Lanka: 1) domestic trade in edible
species; 2) small scale subsistence fisheries for village level consumption; and 3) fisheries
primarily for export, such as spiny lobsters, sea cucumber, sacred chanks and ornamental fish.
Reef fish catches and the trade are not clearly identified in fisheries statistics, but are included
as ‘rockfish’ under the general heading of coastal fisheries. The National Aquatic Resources
Research and Development Agency (NARA), the research arm of the Ministry of Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources Development, monitors demersal fish catches at selected landing sites.
Landing values for rockfish declined from 10,585mt in 1994 to 9,100mt in 1997 and increased
slightly to 9,200mt in 1998. The reasons for these fluctuations are unknown, but may be
related to limited access to some areas due to the ongoing military conflict. Most of the 250
fish species and 50 species of invertebrates used in the ornamental fishery are collected on
reefs, which constituted about 40-50% of the US $6.6 million export in 1998. Other species
harvested for export include sacred chanks (Turbinella pyrum; Turbinellidae), cowries, cones,
murex and other shells. In 1998, 260,000kg of sea cucumber, 796,000kg of seashells and
sacred chanks, and 11,400kg of molluscs were exported. Statistics for the spiny lobster catch
cannot be isolated as they are now pooled with all crustaceans.
THREATS TO CORAL REEFS AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES
Bangladesh
The major threats to the coral habitats are high levels of sedimentation, cyclones, storm
surges, freshwater and agricultural runoff, pollution from human settlements and the
removal of coastal vegetation. There is also over-harvesting of corals, sea cucumbers and
molluscs by excessive numbers of subsistence fishers. The removal of Acropora and other
coral colonies for the curio trade is also a major threat to the reefs, such that Acropora are
now rare. The main destructive fishing practice is using stones to weigh down the nets,
which smash corals. There are no reports of blast fishing or the use of poisons. Large-scale
removal of coral boulders and dredging of channels has caused considerable damage to
the reefs, and a barrier wall built on the sea front has caused beach erosion. The removal of
Pandanus trees for firewood has also caused much beach and dune erosion.
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