Reef disaster looms

The Government is considering removing the ecologically-valuable coral reef along the Dehiwala coastline and replacing it with a concrete breakwater. To be fair, the swap is being considered because of demands made by fishermen, but the overall environmental devastation the reef removal would cause far outweighs any convenience imagined by the fishermen and ultimately affect their way of life.

Fishermen blocked the nearby railroad and protested for the change, claiming six fishermen lost their lives over the past few years after boats capsized on the reef. However, reports indicate the reef provides a safe passage but fishermen are sometimes too inebriated to negotiate it. Whatever the case, the Government has to look at the larger picture and educate the fishermen to the true extent of the consequences of their demand. So far Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has indicated he would accede to the request, sending the public into a frenzy of worry with good cause. Public officials such as Amaraweera should have the intelligence to foresee the consequences of their actions and listen to stakeholders, but knowing the track record of politicians, the public is rightly alarmed.

Tropical coral reefs are very productive ecosystems. Not only do they support enormous biodiversity, they are also of immense value to humankind. Latest estimates by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) suggest coral reefs provide close to $30 billion each year in goods and services. These include fishing resources as coral reefs are vital to the world’s fisheries. They form the nurseries for about a quarter of the ocean’s fish and thus provide revenue for local communities as well as national and international fishing fleets. An estimated one billion people have some dependence on coral reefs for food and income from fishing. If properly managed, reefs can yield around 15 tons of fish and other seafood per square kilometre each year.

Tourism revenues generated by coral reefs are also significant. For example, according to a report by the Key West Chamber of Commerce, tourists visiting the Florida Keys in the US generate at least $3 billion dollars in annual income, while Australia’s Great Barrier Reef generates well over $1 billion per year. Sustainably-managed coral reef-based tourism can also provide significant alternative or additional sources of income to poorer coastal communities in developing countries. Sri Lanka does not come close to these numbers but scuba and deep sea diving does provide revenue, which will continue to grow.  

Perhaps the most important function of coral reefs is that they break the power of the waves during storms, hurricanes, typhoons, and even tsunamis. By helping to prevent coastal erosion, flooding, and loss of property on the shore, the reefs save billions of dollars each year in terms of reduced insurance and reconstruction costs and reduced need to build costly coastal defences – not to mention the reduced human cost of destruction and displacement. 

We can also expect coral reef species to contribute to future medical advances. Already coral reef organisms are being used in treatments for diseases like cancer and HIV. Just as with tropical forests, we may continue to find the answers to medical problems in the coral reefs – so long as we can keep them healthy.

The presence of the Dehiwala reef would have protected the coastal community from the catastrophic 2004 tsunami and in many storms since then. It is truly ironic that the same communities that benefit so much from the reef are the ones to demand its removal.