Coral reefs as nurseries for fishes; Source: The Ecologist

Coral reefs are important to the fish habitat as they form nurseries for fish species to thrive in. They are nurseries to about a quarter of the ocean’s fishes and if properly managed, coral reefs could yield about 15 tonnes of fishes and other seafood per square kilometre each year, providing a great source of revenue and food for the local communities through fishing and the harvesting of the other seafood.

An estimated of one-eighth of the world’s population live within 100 kilometres of a coral reef and are able to enjoy the benefits derived from the ecosystem services that coral reefs provide. Importantly, more than 270 million people globally live very close to the reefs (within 10 kilometres from the coasts and within 30 kilometres of reefs) and they have high dependence on coral reefs for food and livelihood.

Number of people living near coral reefs (As a percentage of the total nation population); Source: World Resources Institution

Specifically in the Philippines, about 42 million people, which represents about 45 percent of the country’s population, live very close to the reefs and this proximity allows them to conveniently depend on the reefs to provide them with their source of food through harvesting of the fishes and other seafood.

Fisheries as sources of employment; Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

In addition, approximately 2 million people in the Philippines depend on fisheries for employment, with about 1 million small-scale fishers directly dependent on reef fisheries. As the country’s reef system can yield 5 to 37 tonnes of fish per square kilometres, the reefs are very important to the productivity of the local fisheries as well as the income of the local fishers and their employees. In 2007, the Philippines’ exportation of at least 1,370 tons of coral trout and nearly 1,000 tons of other species of live reef fish fetched an estimated retail value of about U.S. $140 million and more than U.S. $35 million respectively.

All these emphasize on the significant role of the coral reef system in the lives of the local communities.