media advisory caribbean coral case
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7/28/2019 Media Advisory Caribbean Coral Case
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Media Alert, June 12, 2013
Case Before District Court of the United States in San Juan for the
Protection of Caribbean CoralsCaribbean Coral Reefs Dying Due to Global Warming and Local Impacts
WHO: Earthjustice, representing several Caribbean conservation groups,
National Marine Fisheries Service, Judge Salvador E. Casellas
WHAT: Oral Argument in case of Center for Biological Diversity v.
National Marine Fisheries Service
WHERE: Room 4, Federal Courthouse, Old San Juan, 300 Calle Recinto
Sur, Puerto Rico
WHEN: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 10am
BACKGROUND:
The elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis)corals were the main reef building corals throughout the Caribbean. Currently both species are
dangerously close to extinction, having a population decline of 98% since 1970. Corals suffer from a
variety of threats including pollution, global warming and ocean acidification. However, other key
threats to corals include local over-fishing of species important to their life cycles.
Since 2006 these corals are protected under the Endangered Species Act as a result of a petition made
by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). In 2012 the National Marine Fisheries Serviceproposed to change the status of these threatened corals to endangered, because of their continuous and
dramatic population decline due to unprecedented environmental stress.
According to the lawsuit filed in January 2012, the National Marine Fisheries Service violated theFederal Endangered Species by allowing its Caribbean management plan to capture a significant
number of parrot fish without adequately considering the impact of that decision on the listed elkhorn
and staghorn corals. The fishermen and conservation groups argue that the agency failed to considertheir own conclusions, including local management options to prevent over-fishing of the parrot fish,
an important reef herbivore that controls algae that can smother corals and block its reproduction.
On Wednesday June 12, 2013 Federal Judge Salvador E. Casellas will hold a hearing in the case
brought by fishermen and coral farmers from the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico, demanding stricter
regulations to protect Caribbean parrot fish populations, and thus also protect corals.
According to the lawsuit, the National Fisheries Service violated the Endangered Species Act in
concluding that fishing levels allowed for several species of parrot fish would not endanger corals or
"adversely modify" (ie, jeopardize the survival or recovery of the species) their critical habitat.
Contacts:
Mary Ann Lucking, CORALations, 787-556-6234, [email protected] Treece, Earthjustice, 415-217-2089 [email protected]
Miyoko Sakashita, Center for Biological Diversity, 415-632-5308, [email protected]
Flamenco Beach, Culebra Puerto Rico
Visitor removes one of the last
small parrot fish from the coral
reef.