Southeast Asian Coral Reefs - Social Impacts of Depletion

Social Impacts of Depletion

Most Southeastern Asian coastal communities are socially and economically dependent upon coral reef ecosystems. 350 million people live within 50k of the coast and the majority of that population depend in one way or another upon the coral reefs. Because so many people are dependent on such a precious ecosystem, environmental impacts are not all they are facing. Along with the degradation and depletion of the physical coral and its inhabitants, the Southeastern Asian residents are facing major social and economic implications. Socially, the coral depletion could have a devastating effect on the population and the culture that is dependent upon the reefs of Southeast Asia.

The marine waters of the Philippines is five times more in area than the land it covers. Out of the 86 million people that reside in the Philippines, about 40% live on less than a dollar a day. Most people fish for personal consumption and survival. Fish consumption is estimated at around 30 kg per capita in the Philippines. Because fish are becoming scarier as their reef habitat is gradually destroyed by cyanide and blast fishing, starfire, and bleaching, fishermen must continue to use the cheapest and most reliable methods to bring in their daily catch.

The coral reefs of Indonesia and the Philippines are vital to food security, employment, tourism, and medicinal research. The value of the regions sustainable coral reef fisheries alone is US$2.4 billion a year. These countries rely on the marine resources as a means to diversify their economy. Due to unsafe fishing practices, the coral reefs in these countries are experiencing a decline. There are no pristine coral reefs in the world. Coral reefs in these countries are headed toward becoming ecologically extinct. Without the abundance of Marine resources, the Philippines and Indonesia will experience a major hit to their economy.

The coral reef has been an integral part of Southeast Asian communities for thousands of years. According to Tiffany Adams of Hong Kong, "With the higher demands on the coral reef to produce for the increasing population and the introduction of the world market in the last fifty years, overexploitation has become the most prevalent threat." The explosion of the live reef food fish and aquarium trades as markets has been detrimental to the coral reef. Economic incentives have led to the over fishing of the coral reef and the creation of new technologies to create higher yields of harvest. The use of cyanide and blast fishing has begun to destroy one of the largest coral reef environments in the world. Furthermore, the increased populations have affected the coral reef indirectly. Besides using the reef for economic gain, the increase of people has created pollution. The high levels of development and change in the methods of using the land have led to massive deforestation, which in turn has created a substantial amount of sediments and nutrient loads being placed in coastal environments. Furthermore, attempts to industrialize at the lowest cost possible have led to increased pollution without regulation. To protect and restore the coral reefs many things must be considered. The fishermen and reef harvesters must be given a new method of generating income, one that is sustainable and economically enticing that does not negatively affect the environment. Also, there is a need to manage and regulate the development of the Southeast area and the pollution from this area, while considering the environmental impacts and the economic impacts farther down the road. The task of saving the coral reef in Southeast Asia must occur within the communities which depend upon them. The problem, of a community's abuse and overuse of a natural resource, as created through desperation, poverty and a lack of oversight, cannot be handled by a foreign, external organization or a well-intended NGO. Such as the result of the incredibly successful restoration of Apo Island's reef, the local people must decide as a community to manage the reefs so that they may continue to sustain themselves through this essential resource.

Wilkinson, C.R., L.M. Chou, E. Gomez, I. Mohammed, S. Soekarno, and Sudara. 1993. "Status of Coral Reefs in Southeast Asia: Threats and Responses." In: Ginsburg, R.N. (compiler) (1994) Global Aspects of Coral Reefs: Health, Hazards, and History. University of Miami, Florida, June 10–11, 1993.

Mohammad, S.M. 1994. "The Status of Coral Reef Resource Systems and Current Research Needs in East Africa", pp. 22–25. In: J.L. Munro and P.E. Munro (eds.) The Management of Coral Reefs Resource Systems. ICLARM Conf. Proc. 44.