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solonavi 14 June 2007 Campaign, Coral Reefs, General, Habitat 88 views No Comment Print This Post  Email This Post

WWF

Red, pink and other coral species in the genus Corallium will be better protected from over-exploitation after delegates attending a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES ) adopted a US proposal to list the genus in Appendix II of the convention.

Appendix II allows trade in a species under strict conditions.

Red and pink corals and other lesser known species of Corallium are used mainly for the manufacture of jewellery and art. They are found throughout the world’s tropical and temperate seas and are harvested in the Mediterranean and Western Pacific.
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Corallium populations off parts of the Italian, French and Spanish coasts are no longer commercially viable, while in the Western Pacific they have been depleted within five years of their discovery and harvest is shifting to newly discovered populations.

Corallium products reach high prices on the market and are traded worldwide. It is also very difficult to identify which species of coral is used in the finish products.

“CITES listed all the hard corals in Appendix II more than a decade ago, and we are pleased to see the Convention protect these precious corals as well,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF’s Global Species Programme.

“Now, consumers of these beautiful items will be part of the solution, and not part of the problem.”

Red Coral
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