Coral Reefs (Hansard, 20 July 1998)

§ Clare Short

My Department has a particular interest in reversing the degradation of coral reef and other coastal ecosystems because these often represent an important source of livelihood of poor communities in the heavily populated coastal areas of the developing countries. Those with greatest dependence on these resources are often the poorest members of these communities.

The United Kingdom is a founder member of the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) and participates in meetings of the ICRI Co-ordinating Planning Committee. Following financial and technical support which UK provided for the ICRI South Asia Region Coral Reef Management Workshop in 1995, my Department has recently funded the preparation and publication of a Manual of Coastal Resource Management in South Asia. We are also helping our partners in South Asia to protect 396W their coral reefs by providing funds and expertise to the International Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO for the development of a South Asia region coral reef monitoring network, the first regional component of a planned global network.

In September this year, the performance of ICRI over its first four years will be reviewed at the International Symposium on Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management, to be held in Australia. My Department has agreed to support the costs associated with attendance at this meeting by representatives from our S. Asia partners countries, from the regional ICRI co-ordinating organisation and from the S. Asia coral reef monitoring network.

The ICRI seeks greater understanding of the ecology of coral reefs, mangrove and seagrass systems on tropical coasts, and urges the sustainable use of these systems for the benefit of dependent populations. During the period 1990 to date, my Department has supported 35 projects with a total commitment of almost £10 million in pursuit of these objectives. Our concern in supporting the protection of coral reefs, and other tropical coastal ecosystems, is to help our partners stabilise and regenerate natural resources which are of significant importance to global efforts to eradicate poverty.