CITES Meeting Fails to Protect Corals and Other Marine Species

This year's meeting of the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha, Qatar, was a huge setback for marine conservation—every single proposal to protect marine species was either voted down or overturned. Despite CITES' own resolution to take a precautionary approach to trade regulations, it is clear that short-term political and economic interests won out over scientific recommendations at this meeting.

Numerous imperiled marine species were considered for CITES listing at the triennial meeting this March, which would have provided regulations on their trade aimed at preventing unsustainable harvests. Among those species proposed for Appendix II listing were the 32 species of red and pink corals that make up the family Coralliidae (Corallium corals). These corals are prized for their use in jewelry and home décor items, which has led them to be heavily exploited.

The slow-growing, long-lived Corallium species are quite different from their reef-building stony coral cousins, living in deep waters (to 800 meters) that make scientific study difficult. Although very little is known about Corallium ecology, most deep-water corals provide important habitat for numerous species, which can be easily destroyed by unsustainable fishing or commercial harvest. Currently, 30-50 metric tons of Corallium are harvested annually from the Mediterranean Sea and the Pacific Ocean to meet consumer demand.

The proposal to list red and pink corals was rejected after strong lobbying from industry interests, who argued that trade regulations would kill their business. Ultimately, though, unregulated and unsustainable trade would just as easily destroy the industry—not to mention the ecosystem. The trade monitoring that would have come with a CITES listing would have helped to protect these species in the long term, thereby protecting the people and livelihoods that depend on them.

Bluefin tuna are transferred from fishing nets into cages in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy

Other proposals that were voted down at the CITES meeting include a ban on trading bluefin tuna, a species that has seen a drastic population decline in the past few decades—stocks of bluefin tuna have fallen by more than eighty percent in their main fishing grounds since the 1970s. Eight species of shark, at risk from the high demand for shark fin soup, also failed to win protection. These proposals failed after intense opposition from countries worried about the negative impact a ban might have on their domestic fishing industries.

Despite the disappointing outcomes of this meeting, it is encouraging to note that some failed proposals—including the Corallium proposal—did win a majority of votes, even if they fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass. In fact, the proposal to set trade limits on the porbeagle shark did pass an initial vote, but lost two key votes when it was brought back to the table later on. Also encouraging was the high level of media attention given to this year's meeting. Greater public awareness may make it more difficult for commercial business to trump conservation in the future.

As support for marine species protection continues to build, we can hope that the results of the next CITES meeting will be more positive. Unfortunately, we will have to wait another three years before it occurs. In the meantime, we can work to protect threatened trade species in other ways—by reducing consumer demand, backing other legal protections and regulations, and supporting research and conservation initiatives.

Photo credits:
Corallium rubrum by G. Marola, 2007/Marine Photobank
Coral jewelry by Patty Debenham, Too Precious to Wear Campaign, SeaWeb 2007/Marine Photobank
Bluefin tuna by Marco Carè/Marine Photobank