Trade in Stoney Corals
In 2002 NOAA Fisheries Service (NMFS) with funding
from the U.S. Department of State organized a regional workshop
in Indonesia to evaluate the trade in stony corals and develop
recommendations for sustainable harvest of corals. The workshop
involved participation by key stakeholders from government agencies,
academia and non-govermental organizations in countries that harvest
and/or export coral resources, including Australia, Indonesia,
Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vietnam, and Vanuatu, as well as
representatives from importing nations including the U.S. and
the European Union. Participants examined the status of the coral
trade, environmental concerns associated with the harvest and
trade in corals, current strategies to manage and monitor the
trade, and possible 
management
measures to promote sustainable use of coral resources. The workshop
proceedings provide reports from the Management, Collection
and Monitoring working groups, status reports on the trade from
each of the exporting countries, and recommendations for sustainable
management approaches for stony corals.
In order to assist law enforcement in monitoring imports and exports of stony corals, NMFS developed an identification manual for Indo-Pacific stony corals in international trade that are regulated through an Appendix II listing in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This guide provides photographs and short descriptions of the morphological characteristics needed to identify corals to Genus.
We also provide training sessions in coral
identification for law enforcement officials in the U.S. and abroad.
A guide for Caribbean Corals in International Trade is currently
under development.
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