NOAA's Reporter's Coral Reef Tip Sheet
August 25, 1997 - Week 34

At first glance, corporate boardrooms and coral reefs may seem completely unrelated, however, the decisions emanating from the private sector have more influence on the future of coral reefs than any other single process. The private sector is both a generator of the threats that coral reefs face and a critical key to a healthy future for coral reefs.

The stakes are high in the relatively narrow band of land and water that makes up the coastal zone (about 6 percent of the Earth’s surface). This small area is home to a rapidly rising majority of the human population. Approximately 60 percent of the world’s population lives within 60 km of the sea; this will rise to about 75 percent by the year 2020. Additionally, the ecosystems within the coastal zone (i.e. coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, wetlands, estuaries, and the continental shelf) provide an incredible 43 percent of the world’s ecosystem services. Ecosystem services supplied by coral reefs, such as fisheries, recreation and coastal protection, are critical to the survival of many coastal zone industries.

It is precisely these ecosystem services which draw the private sector to the coastal zone. Ironically, although the private sector depends on these services, it is often private sector activity that threatens the ability of marine ecosystems to provide these services in the future. As a result, the private sector often finds itself in conflict with other components of society, such as the public, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government. Conflicts also occur between industries due to incompatible uses of the coastal zone (e.g. waste disposal versus tourism).

The business world is beginning to recognize the importance of operating sustainably. The leaders of the private sector movement toward environmental and economic sustainability are employing an innovative array of approaches to ensure that what is good for business is not bad for the environment. Below are some examples of win-win solutions for coastal zone industry and the marine environment.

Coastal Tourism: The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which brings together the heads of over a hundred of the tourist industry leaders, recognizes the connection between a healthy environment and healthy profits and has developed the "Green Globe" program to create standards and accreditation for hotels that operate in a clean, green, and sustainable manner.

Diving and Marine Recreation: The Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) has developed training courses in environmentally-sound diving practices and has recently created a foundation to support marine conservation activities such as mooring buoy installation.

Seafood: The Marine Stewardship Council, a partnership between the Unilever Corporation (one of the world's biggest buyers of frozen fish), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), is developing market-based approaches to deal with the critical issue of fisheries over-exploitation.

Aquarium Fish: The Marine Aquarium Fish Council links several key industry players and NGOs in a coalition to develop a process to ensure the sustainability of the aquarium fish trade - and the coral reef ecosystem that supports it.

Oil and Gas: A major report just released by the International Petroleum Industry Environment and Conservation Association (IPIECA) outlines the petroleum industry’s practices in sensitive marine environments.

The corporate world is critical to the coral reef world. Increasing and improving the application of incentives and the involvement of the private sector are essential to the conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity and environmental quality.

Event:

The IUCN - World Conservation Union - "Workshop on Incentives, Private Sector Partnerships and the Marine and Coastal Environment," was held at the Global Biodiversity Forum August 29-31 in Montreal, Canada.

The workshop created an opportunity for industries to share their efforts, alone or in partnership with NGOs, to make sustainability a part of the way they do business in the coastal zone.

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