Souvenir Collection: Corals and Other

Marine Organisms

Dr. Lisamarie Carrubba

NOAA Fisheries

Caribbean Field Office

Laws and Regulations

• Law 147 for the Protection, Conservation and Management of Coral Reefs in PR and Regulation No. 2577 to Control the Extraction, Possession, Transport and Sale of Coralline Resources in PR– Require DNER permit to extract, remove, mutilate, destroy or

damage, traffic, sell, or donate any live or dead coral

– Include artisanal collection and use in souvenirs and artwork

• PR Fishing Law 278 and Fishing Regulations No. 6768– Require DNER authorization to collect any marine organisms

– Establish minimum sizes for animals like conch and whelk, including for shells used as souvenirs

Laws and Regulations

• V.I. Code Title 12, Chapter 9A Commercial Fishing– Establish size limits for the capture of queen conch and

whelk

• V.I. Code Title 12, Chapter 2 Protection of Indigenous, Endangered and Threatened Fish, Wildlife and Plants– It is illegal to take, possess, injure, harass, sell or offer

for sale, transport, etc. indigenous species including live rock

– Also includes the collection of dead coral as souvenirs

Laws and Regulations

• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as amended– Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) created

fishery management plan (FMP) for corals and other reef organisms

– No coral or other organism in the coral FMP can be collected for purposes other than research and education and these activities need CFMC authorization

– Minimum size limits and other restrictions for animals in the queen conch, spiny lobster, and reef fish FMPs

– This applies to federal waters only (beyond the 9nm jurisdiction of Puerto Rico)

Laws and Regulations

• Endangered Species Act of 1973– May 2006: elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn

(A. cervicornis) corals were listed as threatened – 4(d) rule prohibiting “take” of these species

published December 2007 for comments– Proposed critical habitat designation published

January 2008 for comments, final rule to be published November 2008

Queen conch (Strombus gigas)

AdultJuvenile

Problem• In FY06, DNER Rangers in Ponce reported problems

with tourists taking coral souvenirs in their luggage• Summer 2007, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement

(OLE) was called by TSA in San Juan when 28 lbs of hard and soft coral were found in a tourist’s luggage

• In St. Thomas, between Aug 2007-July 2008, corals and other marine organisms have been recovered from at least 10 tourists

• In St. Croix, TSA confiscates approx. 240 lbs of coral/month ranging from 20 lbs from one person to a piece that fits in the palm of the hand

Measures Taken

• NOAA Fisheries conducted training events in Ponce and Aguadilla with DNER, TSA and Agriculture and Customs personnel

• Jan 2008, OLE began a partnership with TSA officials in San Juan and NOAA Fisheries trained approx. 70 TSA personnel in coral and marine organism regulations

• Since the training, corals and other marine organisms are recovered from between 40-60 persons per week

Measures Taken

• Outreach activities undertaken by NOAA Fisheries:– Billboards and posters installed in the San Juan, Ponce and

Aguadilla airports, Fajardo ferry terminal and ferry boats to Vieques and Culebra

– Over 12-months of “Aventuras Marinas con la NOAA” spot on “Turismo en Borinquen” television program for tourists on local, cable and satellite TV stations around Puerto Rico

– 60-s PSA aired in movie theaters around PR and on local stations, as well as during the “Turismo en Borinquen” program

– Bilingual pamphlets for PR and USVI regarding collection of corals and other invertebrates aimed at tourists

Future Directions• Working together to create an educational video

and varied length PSA versions with Ziggy Levant, creator of a similar product for Hawaii (forthesea.com)

• Widespread circulation of message to tourists through advertising with airlines, hotel TV, etc.

• Campaign in both PR and USVI partnering with OLE, CFMC, DPNR, DNER, VINE

• NOAA Fisheries is developing a brochure specific to acroporid corals with information for tourists for use in PR, USVI, FL

Questions?