The International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) has developed
out of the concern of nations, initially a relatively
small core group which included Australia, France,
Jamaica, Japan, The Philippines, Sweden, the United
Kingdom and the United States of America, about the
apparent deterioration in the health of the worldÕs coral
reefs. Estimates are that at least 10% of the worldÕs coral
reefs have already been seriously degraded and larger percentage
is threatened. At the First Conference of Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity in Bermuda in
1994, this group of countries, a partnership, set in place
a process to build a larger constituency by taking ICRI to
the wider international community.
The basis for this partnership is mutual recognition of
the following:
1. Coral reef ecosystems have great economic, social and
cultural importance to nations and individuals beyond
simply food production, tourism, recreation, aesthetics
and shoreline protection
2. Many of worldÕs coral reefs are in decline, especially
those near shallow shelves and dense human populations
3. The reasons for the decline are varied, complex and
often di¦cult to accurately determine, but human activity
is a primary source of degradation
4. An enormous amount of data and a wide range of
experience already exist, and while there remain many
unanswered questions, it is not the lack of scientiÞc
knowledge that is the key constraint to minimizing or
eliminating degradation to coral reefs
5. If the problems faced by coral reefs and associated
ecosystems are clearly deÞned and su¦ciently well
publicized and the solutions promoted, then the will,
the collaboration and the resources necessary to reduce
the threats can be found.