Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000
ERITREA
The newly declared country of Eritrea is a neighbour of Sudan and Djibouti on the eastern
Red Sea, and has a coastline of 1,200km, with 59% of national area as a coastal plain.
There are over 350 islands, including approximately 210 islands in the Dahlak
Archipelago, which sits on a relict Pleistocene platform. There are poorly developed
fringing reefs along 18% of the Red Sea coast (continental coast), but the reefs on the
islands are a globally significant reservoir of marine biodiversity and relatively pristine
reefs, especially the Dahlak Archipelago which was identified as a potential marine
protected area in 1968. Coastal resources are largely untapped and the population
density along the coast and on islands is low. The climate is conducive for reef growth:
generally warm waters, with low rainfall. The extensive corals, seagrass and mangroves
include over 250 species of reef fish, as well as large populations of turtles and dugongs.
Corals around Massawa are patchy and separated by sand, or along fringing reefs in about
6m depth. There over 17 genera of hard corals, with a mean live coral cover from 16% to
37%, and dead coral from 16-29%. But these are up to 30% lower than records from
1996 which indicates a rapid decline. Sponges increased between both studies,
suggesting that they were overgrowing dead coral areas. Bleaching in 1997 was lower
than 1%, and there are few crown-of-thorns starfish. The most common genera were
Porites, Montipora, Stylophora and Platygyra. No complete fish lists are available, but the
aquarium trade exports at least 75 species.
The Ministry of Fisheries (MOF) is responsible for managing fisheries, and coral reef
research and monitoring, and the National Environmental Management Plan and a
Framework Marine Conservation Strategy is guiding activities. Current conservation efforts
include the Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity Project, a 5 year (1999-2004) GEFfunded
programme, executed through the MOF to ensure the conservation and
sustainable use of the globally important biodiversity of Eritrea’s coastal, marine and island
ecosystems, while permitting sustainable use by Eritrean people. Many coral reefs were
relatively pristine away from human or economic impacts, but they are increasingly
threatened by rapid, and largely uncontrolled, development of fisheries, tourism and oil
exploration activities. There is an urgent need to document the resources and this is a
function of the CMIBP, along with implementing management of a diversity of marine and
coastal habitats, and providing training at government and community levels.
There are no declared MPAs in Eritrea, but 4 areas were proposed during GEF project
preparation, including large parts of the Dahlak Islands, Dur Gaam and Dur Gella Islands
near Massawa, the Fatuma island group near Aseb and the Museri island group offshore
from Massawa. Biodiversity is being assessed through the GEF project to support
proposals for protection, especially in the Dahlak archipelago.
Since 1990, the coastal population has increased slightly and the fisheries sector is also
developing, most fishing is non-destructive and commercial trawlers operate in deeper
waters away from reefs. The fisheries are predominantly artisanal targeting finfish,
gastropods, sea cucumbers and pearl oysters. Threats to Eritrean reefs include coastal
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