For corals to survive and thrive, there must be meaningful action taken at the international and domestic policy levels. There are many existing policy mechanisms that could be used to improve coral conservation. We encourage citizens and corporations to get involved at all levels of the policy process to pass measures that protect corals. In the United States, Congress needs to reauthorize a stronger version of the Coral Reef Conservation Act (CRCA). The act provides an opportunity to support coral reef research and management taking into consideration coral trade pressures, reef destruction and climate change. The CRCA reauthorization legislation has passed in the House of Representatives and has passed a key committee in the Senate, where it awaits further action. Internationally, governments failed to provide much needed trade protection for red and pink coral at the March 2010 Conference on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Now more than ever, industry and concerned consumers must act by creating a demand for coral conservation.
Stories about the CITES meeting:
- Wildlife trade body leaves rare corals unprotected
- U.N. decides not to protect red and pink coral
- Earth Hour? How about endangered species hour?
For more information, see:
