Great Barrier Reef an example of controlled collection

IN Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, collection of corals is done in a managed manner. The Queensland coral fishery started in the 1930s with coral pieces being sold as ornaments. From the 1950s to 80s, demand rose in tandem with the growth in tourism. Since the 1980s, the demand is more for aquariums, with live corals becoming increasingly popular.

Anthony Roelofs, senior fisheries biologist at the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, says Queensland launched a new coral fishery policy in 2006, featuring harvest quotas and designated collection areas.