21日在杜哈所舉行的華盛頓公約(CITES)會議中，各國政府代表否決了對紅珊瑚與粉紅珊瑚在珠寶製作貿易限制的提案。
美國和歐盟提議規範31種來自西太平洋和地中海地區珊瑚之國際貿易，但未能達到所需三分之二以上代表的贊成，其中64個國家投票贊成，59國反對，10國棄權。
根據美國的提案，珊瑚族群最大的危機在於採集後供應了國際貿易，自1980年代以來，供應量已經下降了60%至80%，族群結構所減少的量相當於在採集區中損失了80%至90%的珊瑚生產力。
這些物種已經被採集達數千年，每年國際貿易的品項高達數以百萬計。然而今天的消費需求正威脅著這些物種的生存，國際需求已經耗盡了最知名的紅珊瑚與粉紅珊瑚族群，而新開發的族群也已被快速消耗殆盡。
提案建議將紅珊瑚與粉紅珊瑚列入CITES附錄二中，並採行嚴格的許可證制度來管制貿易。這將確保各國以法律約束力來管理此種珍貴珊瑚的國際貿易，讓這些生長緩慢，壽命長的物種可以被永續採集。
但在2009年12月，聯合國糧農組織一個專家小組的結論是，現有的證據並不足以支持將整個紅珊瑚科物種列入附錄二中。該小組說，此科中有7種珊瑚並不符合列入附錄二中的生物標準。
缺乏足夠的科學證據以及會影響當地沿海居民生計等因素，成為了反對這項提案的主要論點。
主要的珊瑚採集和加工區包括了意大利、日本和台灣。
推動"貴重到戴不起"運動的SeaWeb科學計畫副總裁泰萊基(Kristian Teleki)呼籲各國政府保護紅珊瑚，他說這個決定對紅珊瑚與粉紅珊瑚長期生存以及依賴他們的產業來說，是倒退了一大步。
SeaWeb要求珠寶商和設計師，在健全的管理制度到位以及這些長壽又生長緩慢的物種族群恢復以前，拒絕使用或購買紅珊瑚與粉紅珊瑚。
珠寶零售商Tiffany＆Co.、珠寶設計師聖克萊爾(Temple St. Clair)、海洋保育學家庫斯托(Celine Cousteau)以及其他許多人都支持將紅珊瑚與粉紅珊瑚列入附錄二中以保護牠們。
「諷刺的是，那些支持將珊瑚列入附錄二中的意大利珊瑚工匠們，卻也認為這麼做會威脅到他們的生計，」在意大利工作與生活了25年的聖克萊爾說道，「據我們所知，真正威脅到他們生計的，是不去保護這些珊瑚，如果他們依然故我，未來將沒有珊瑚可供他們採集了。」
「現在是讓珠寶設計產業停止購買和使用這類珊瑚的時候了，這樣珊瑚族群量才能恢復。如果消費者的需求減少，也許政府和珊瑚業者將會認真對待並保護這些珍貴動物的後代。」聖克萊爾說。
珊瑚貿易量每年超過數千萬美元，每年有30至50公噸的紅珊瑚和粉紅珊瑚被採集。
在2001年至2008年間，僅僅美國就進口了2800萬件紅珊瑚與粉紅珊瑚。珊瑚項鍊可以賣到幾十萬美元。
珊瑚每年增長不到1毫米，壽命長達100年。根據國際自然保育聯盟(IUCN)的報告，目前採集的珊瑚群體年齡介乎7至10年。而對珊瑚族群永續的採集時間點，應該在98年之後。
至於黑珊瑚則已在CITES的保護之中了。
世界自然基金會(WWF)的野生動物貿易政策分析師歐克萊爾丹博士(Dr. Colman O'Criodain)說：「對CITES的政府成員們而言，這是一個極大的羞辱，因為他們喪失了一個機會，去表明CITES尚未完全失去對抗既得利益者反對保護海洋物種的能力。」
中國已經將在其水域中發現的四種受威脅的珊瑚列入公約的附錄三中。這樣做使得這些珊瑚交易必須要有適當的文件流程，並且各國得以追蹤和評估國際貿易的情況。
但一些國家認為，鑑定珊瑚種類的工作，嚴重地阻礙了實施貿易管制工作。
DOHA, Qatar, March 22, 2010 (ENS) - Proposed trade regulations for red and pink precious corals used in jewelry were turned down Sunday by governments at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES, meeting in Doha.
The United States and the European Union wanted to regulate international trade in 31 species of corals from the western Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea but the proposal failed to reach the two-thirds majority that was needed, with 64 countries voting in favor, 59 against and 10 abstaining.
According to the U.S. proposal, the greatest risk to coral populations is fishing to supply international trade, with landings that have declined by 60 to 80 percent since the 1980s, and reductions in the size structure of populations in fished areas equivalent to a loss of 80 to 90 percent of the corals' reproductive modules.
These species have been fished for millennia, and millions of items are traded internationally each year. But today consumer demand is threatening the species' survival. International demand has depleted most known populations of pink and red corals, and newly-discovered stocks have been rapidly exhausted.
The proposed listing of red and pink corals in CITES Appendix II would have allowed trade under a strict permit system. It would have ensured that countries had legally binding measures governing the international trade of this group of corals and that stocks of these slow-growing, long-lived species were sustainably harvested.
But in December 2009, an expert panel of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization concluded that the available evidence did not support the proposal to include the entire family Corallidae in Appendix II. The panel said seven of the species in this family of corals did not meet the biological criteria for an Appendix II listing.
Lack of sufficient scientific evidence and the impact on the livelihoods of costal local populations depending on corals were the main arguments advanced by the opponents to this proposal.
Major harvesting and processing areas include Italy, Japan and Taiwan.
Kristian Teleki, vice president of science initiatives for SeaWeb, whose campaign Too Precious to Wear had called for governments to protect Coralliidae, called the decision "a major step backward for the long-tem survival of red and pink coral and the industries that depend on them."
SeaWeb is asking jewelers and designers to refuse to use or purchase red and pink coral until sound management is in place and populations of these long-lived, slow growing species have recovered.
Jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co., jewelry designer Temple St. Clair, ocean conservationist Celine Cousteau and many others supported the proposal to protect red and pink coral under Appendix II.
"The irony is that the Italian artisans who work in coral and helped create this resistance to an Appendix II listing feel that it would threaten their livelihood," said St. Clair, who has lived and worked in Italy for 25 years. "As we know, the real threat to their livelihood is not protecting these corals. If they stay on their current track, there will be no more coral for them to harvest."
"It's now up the jewelry and design industry to stop buying and using this coral so populations can recover. If consumer demand is lessened, perhaps governments and the coral industry will get serious about protecting these precious animals for future generations," St. Clair said.
The coral trade is worth tens of millions of dollars each year, with between 30 and 50 metric tonnes of red and pink corals harvested annually.
Between 2001 and 2008 the United States alone imported 28 million pieces of red and pink coral. Necklaces can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Coral grow less than one millimeter a year and can live up to 100 years old. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, IUCN, Colonies are currently removed when they are between seven to 10 years old. For populations to be sustainable, they should not be harvested until they're 98 years old.
Black corals are already protected under the CITES treaty.
"This is a shame for CITES governments because it was an opportunity to show that the convention has not entirely lost the capacity to face down vested interests that oppose CITES protection for marine species," said Dr. Colman O'Criodain, wildlife trade policy analyst at WWF International.
China has already listed four of the threatened coral species found in its waters in Appendix III of the Convention. Such a listing requires that trade must be conducted only with the appropriate paperwork, and it allows countries to track and assess levels of international trade.
But several countries considered the identification of corals a serious stumbling block for implementing trade regulations.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
