Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2000

Regional Status of Coral Reefs in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION, STRATEGIES AND POLICY ON REEF CONSERVATION
International Agreements: Not all States are Signatories to all the following Agreements,
Protocols or Declarations, but these are the primary international agreements in force in the
region, with the most pertinent for coral reef conservation and management marked with an *:
• The Protocol for Regional Cooperation for Combating Pollution by Oil and other
Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency (1982);
• The Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil (MARPOL)*;
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES)*;
• The African Agreement for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
(Algiers 1988);
• The Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of
Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa
(1993);
• The Protocol Concerning Regional Cooperation in Combating Pollution by Oil and
other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency (1984)*;
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1985);
• The Convention of the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and
other Matter (London Convention) and its four annexes*;
• The Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and the Gulf of
Aden Environment (Jeddah Convention)*;
• The Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine
and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region (1988)*;
• The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
(1986);
• The Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Marine Pollution in Cases of
Emergency in the Eastern African Region (1988);
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)*.
Regional Agreements
One was signed by Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia to establish a sub-regional centre to
combat oil pollution in the Gulf of Aden. Oil spill response facilities are stored at Djibouti.
Yemen and Djibouti are currently negotiating a bilateral agreement regarding the use of this
equipment. In 1986, Djibouti, and Somalia signed a bilateral fishing agreement.
National Legislation and Compliance
A number of Presidential decrees, Public Laws, Acts, Ordinances, Strategies and
Regulations have been formulated and implemented for coral reef conservation, however,
these are too numerous to list and there is considerable overlap in efforts to deal with oil
and other forms of pollution, coastal development and tourism, including land-filling and
dredging, sewage disposal and coral mining, through which coral reefs receive direct and
indirect protection. More detailed listings of these instruments are provided in the
complete country reports.
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