Number: 1990-14
WHEREAS, coral reefs are among the world’s most diverse and significantly productive natural resources providing habitat for marine fish and invertebrates and a host of other aquatic life; and
WHEREAS, coral reefs are biologically- and structurally- sensitive systems which are slow-growing and require hundreds of years to develop; and
WHEREAS, along the North American coast, coral reefs are found along the east coast of Florida from the Dry Tortugas to just south of Miami at Fowey Rocks, but also occur in warm and tropical seas worldwide including the waters of the Florida Keys, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam and other U.S. territories in the Pacific; and
WHEREAS, coral reefs provide significant recreational, commercial and scientific benefits; and
WHEREAS, activities of man create chronic and acute threats to the health of coral reefs, thereby jeopardizing their survival; and
WHEREAS, coral reefs are sensitive to a variety of human perturbations including the effects of oil and chemical spills, discharge of human wastes or other nutrient sources, siltation, storm water discharges from developed adjacent upland areas, and destruction of associated biological communities (such as sea grass beds, mangrove wetlands, tropical coastal forests and hardwood hammocks); and
WHEREAS, the harmful activities that damage reefs include recreational and commercial boat groundings and anchorage, beach renourishment projects, direct and indirect damage from dredge and fill operations, discharge of fresh water from upland point sources, discharge of chemically polluted urban and agricultural run-off, commercial mining of live bottom, off-shore oil drilling and associated activities, aerial mosquito spraying, poor fisheries management practices, coral collecting and improperly managed recreational activities; and
WHEREAS, live rock collection is now permitted by the Army Corps of Engineers in federal waters; and
WHEREAS, as direct physical contact with the reef, from walking or diving activity, can result in coral death and other physical damage; and
WHEREAS, federal subsidies encourage onshore coastal development which negatively impacts coral reefs, but these subsidies are prohibited in the areas included within the Coastal Barrier Resources System;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 15-18, 1990, in Denver, Colorado,
- Urges the Secretary of Commerce to establish formal communications with countries with coral reef ecosystems for the purpose of establishing cooperative global initiatives for the safeguarding of coral reef ecosystems worldwide;
- Urges Congress to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish and implement a National Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation and Protection Plan, which should include a prohibition on live rock harvest except for permitted research purposes, in cooperation with all relevant state, federal and territorial agencies and the interested public; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls upon the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a status review of coral species and associated organisms for the purpose of possible listing under the Endangered Species Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress to pass legislation to protect coral reefs from potential negative impacts due to coastal shipping including oil transport, to the maximum extent possible, by moving coastal shipping lanes farther offshore; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress to pass legislation to include the eligible coastal barriers of the Florida Keys, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands within the Coastal Barrier Resources System, and to map the areas in Hawaii and American Samoa qualifying for inclusion.