World Wildlife Federation Calls for Protection of Australia's Coral Reef

One of the most beautiful natural wonders in the world is The Coral Sea of Australia. It covers over 780,000 square kilometers of ocean, going from the outer boundary of Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park to the South Pacific Island of Vanuaty, New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands. The World Wildlife Federation has called on the government of Australia to declare the entire Coral Sea area as a marine protected area

Somehow the Coral Sea has remained mostly a clean and fresh area. It attracts many visitors from all corners of the world who pay to see the white tip and grey reef sharks as well as hammerheads, manta rays and other sea creatures that call this beautiful place home.

The WWF is concerned that illegal fishing activity will decimate the Coral Sea reefs, killing the animals for things like shark fins that are sold in Asian markets. This illegal activity threatens no only the future of these fish, but also will have an impact on the growing wildlife tourism industry that is worth millions of dollars, as much as $9.4 million a year

Right now there are 40 sharks who call Osprey Reef home. This is the main site for scuba divers in the Coral Sea. That makes each one of these creatures worth over $210,000 per year. This estimate comes from Richard Fitzpatrick, a leading Australian marine biologist and shark researcher.
The going price for a dead shark is $52.50. It is very evident that the sharks are more valuable alive rather than dead.

The shark population of the Great Barrier Reef is declining outside the areas that are not effectively protected. The white tip by 80% and the grey reef shark by 97%. This is good evidence for the need of protecting the shark populations of the entire Coral Sea.

Over fishing is not the only problem that the Coral Sea is facing. It has also been selected for future oil and gas exploration. The climate change is also having an effect on the reefs, making them susceptible to coral bleaching.

With the shark population declining world wide, it is important to take steps immediately to save the Coral Sea from a fate similar to other places that have been damaged.