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Tighter Controls Urged for Reef Fish

Posted on: Monday, 7 August 2006, 12:00 CDT

Scientists at Britain's Cambridge University have joined with colleagues from around the world urging tighter controls on the coral reef live fish trade.

Twenty of the world's leading marine scientists have called for action by governments to halt what they say is the unsustainable plunder of the world's ocean resources.

For decades tropical coral reefs have battled for survival against a complex array of threats including pollution, coral bleaching triggered by rising sea temperatures and over-fishing, the scientists said. But, in particular, the health of the reefs is being compromised by the exploitation of reef resources that are particularly important to developing tropical nations.

The scientists said the live fish trade is an increasing pressure on coral reef resources, both in terms of magnitude and geographical spread. The combination of destructive harvesting methods and over-harvesting of large, predatory reef fish have devastating effects.

According to the 2004 Status of the Coral Reefs of the World report, about 20 percent of the world's reefs have already been effectively destroyed with no immediate prospects of recovery.

The scientists' letters appear in the journal Science.

Source: United Press International

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