The harvest of coastal resources for the
aquarium trade provides important economic opportunities for
Pacific Island countries. Of particular relevance is the trade in
hard corals, for which exports are controlled under the Convention
of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
The European Union is a major consumer and
importer of these taxa from the Indo-Pacific region. This report
was initiated by the UK CITES Scientific Authority to facilitate an
improved understanding of the distribution of CITES-listed coral
taxa in some Pacific islands. It provides information on the
distribution of hard coral species of the orders of Scleractinia,
Stolonifera, Milleporina, and Coenothecalia for Fiji and
neighbouring islands in the central southwest Pacific, including
Vanuatu, Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.
Data was summarised from information drawn
from a wide reference set including publications, reports, coral
export records, as well as museum voucher specimens and
unregistered specimens collected during expeditions. Records of
occurrence of CITES controlled hard corals were compared to
listings within the UNEP-WCMC species database which is used by
many CITES Authorities as a reference guide to confirm species
occurrence.
The number of species records varied
geographically for Fiji and neighbouring islands. Occurrence was
highest in Fiji; 354 species (comprising 342 Scleractinian species
within 72 genera and 12 non-Scleractinian species within 5 genera).
Known diversity in Vanuatu, directly west of Fiji was also high,
with a total of 279 species recorded. The numbers of species listed
as occurring in Tonga, Samoa and American Samoa which are situated
east of Fiji were 189, 149 and 218 respectively. Fiji,
followed by Vanuatu, has the largest reef area of the islands
considered. Reef size in the other islands is significantly lower
than Fiji and Vanuatu. Species diversity appears to be correlated
with reef size and to related oceanic biodiversity gradients. It
must however, be recognised that survey effort has not been
consistent across all islands considered in this checklist.
Relative abundance data are presented for one coral
collection site in Fiji, the most prolific exporter of CITES listed
hard corals in the Pacific Island group. Coral abundance data are
presented for American Samoa. Of the 354 recorded species
within Fiji, 242 species in 34 genera are allowed to be exported
under Fiji’s voluntary export quota system, which includes eleven
non-Scleractinian corals in four genera. Fiji’s coral export quotas
for each category (at genus and species levels) are
listed.