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Souvenir Collection: Corals and Other Marine Organisms

Souvenir Collection: Corals and Other Marine Organisms. Dr. Lisamarie Carrubba NOAA Fisheries Caribbean Field Office. Laws and Regulations.

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Souvenir Collection: Corals and Other Marine Organisms

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  1. Souvenir Collection: Corals and Other Marine Organisms Dr. Lisamarie Carrubba NOAA Fisheries Caribbean Field Office

  2. Laws and Regulations • Law 147 for the Protection, Conservation and Management of Coral Reefs in PR and Regulation No. 2577 to Control the Extraction, Possession, Transport and Sale of Coralline Resources in PR • Require DNER permit to extract, remove, mutilate, destroy or damage, traffic, sell, or donate any live or dead coral • Include artisanal collection and use in souvenirs and artwork • PR Fishing Law 278 and Fishing Regulations No. 6768 • Require DNER authorization to collect any marine organisms • Establish minimum sizes for animals like conch and whelk, including for shells used as souvenirs

  3. Laws and Regulations • V.I. Code Title 12, Chapter 9A Commercial Fishing • Establish size limits for the capture of queen conch and whelk • V.I. Code Title 12, Chapter 2 Protection of Indigenous, Endangered and Threatened Fish, Wildlife and Plants • It is illegal to take, possess, injure, harass, sell or offer for sale, transport, etc. indigenous species including live rock • Also includes the collection of dead coral as souvenirs

  4. Laws and Regulations • Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as amended • Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) created fishery management plan (FMP) for corals and other reef organisms • No coral or other organism in the coral FMP can be collected for purposes other than research and education and these activities need CFMC authorization • Minimum size limits and other restrictions for animals in the queen conch, spiny lobster, and reef fish FMPs • This applies to federal waters only (beyond the 9nm jurisdiction of Puerto Rico)

  5. Laws and Regulations • Endangered Species Act of 1973 • May 2006: elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals were listed as threatened • 4(d) rule prohibiting “take” of these species published December 2007 for comments • Proposed critical habitat designation published January 2008 for comments, final rule to be published November 2008

  6. Queen conch (Strombus gigas) Juvenile Adult

  7. Problem • In FY06, DNER Rangers in Ponce reported problems with tourists taking coral souvenirs in their luggage • Summer 2007, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) was called by TSA in San Juan when 28 lbs of hard and soft coral were found in a tourist’s luggage • In St. Thomas, between Aug 2007-July 2008, corals and other marine organisms have been recovered from at least 10 tourists • In St. Croix, TSA confiscates approx. 240 lbs of coral/month ranging from 20 lbs from one person to a piece that fits in the palm of the hand

  8. Measures Taken • NOAA Fisheries conducted training events in Ponce and Aguadilla with DNER, TSA and Agriculture and Customs personnel • Jan 2008, OLE began a partnership with TSA officials in San Juan and NOAA Fisheries trained approx. 70 TSA personnel in coral and marine organism regulations • Since the training, corals and other marine organisms are recovered from between 40-60 persons per week

  9. Measures Taken • Outreach activities undertaken by NOAA Fisheries: • Billboards and posters installed in the San Juan, Ponce and Aguadilla airports, Fajardo ferry terminal and ferry boats to Vieques and Culebra • Over 12-months of “Aventuras Marinas con la NOAA” spot on “Turismo en Borinquen” television program for tourists on local, cable and satellite TV stations around Puerto Rico • 60-s PSA aired in movie theaters around PR and on local stations, as well as during the “Turismo en Borinquen” program • Bilingual pamphlets for PR and USVI regarding collection of corals and other invertebrates aimed at tourists

  10. Future Directions • Working together to create an educational video and varied length PSA versions with Ziggy Levant, creator of a similar product for Hawaii (forthesea.com) • Widespread circulation of message to tourists through advertising with airlines, hotel TV, etc. • Campaign in both PR and USVI partnering with OLE, CFMC, DPNR, DNER, VINE • NOAA Fisheries is developing a brochure specific to acroporid corals with information for tourists for use in PR, USVI, FL

  11. Questions?

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