Coral reefs around the island nation of Maravelle are showing measurable signs of recovery, marine scientists said this week, five years after the government banned fishing on three reef systems and began a coral replanting programme.
Surveys on the protected reefs found live coral cover had risen from about 18 per cent to 27 per cent. Fish counts on the same reefs roughly doubled.
"Five years is very short in a reef's life, so these numbers are encouraging, not a victory," said Dr Leilani Moreau, who leads the monitoring team. "Warm-water events remain the biggest threat, and one bad year could undo much of this."
How the recovery was managed
- No-fishing zones on three reef systems, marked with buoys and patrolled by local wardens.
- Coral fragments grown on underwater frames and replanted on damaged areas.
- Moorings for boats, so anchors no longer break the reef.
- Compensation and training for fishers affected by the ban.
Many of the fishers who opposed the ban now earn more as snorkel guides and wardens. "I used to take from the reef," said Tomas Ruel, a former fisherman. "Now I show it to people, and it pays me every day."
The government plans to extend protection to a fourth reef next year, after consultations with fishing villages on the island's eastern coast.
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