Word: coral
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...five-man crew pulled lines taut and the two green and white striped sails caught the wind and filled with a snap. Some guests pitched in to help, others baited hooks and fished off the stern. A few hours later we arrived at a pristine beach surrounded by coral heads at the southern tip of the island. Divers readied their gear and plunged directly overboard while snorkelers and shell gatherers headed to the beach in a dinghy. Later that afternoon, a small fishing boat pulled alongside the Marco Polo to reveal a hold full of the day's catch. After...
Self-Destruction While the island of Selayar is largely unsullied by human development, the same cannot be said of its surrounding coral reefs. It only takes a quick peek below the surface of the island's tranquil waters to see the devastating consequences of unfettered local fishing practices. The sea floor off the coast, once heralded as one of Sulawesi's richest reefs, is now a barren, white wasteland of shattered coral, eerie stillness and craters the size of a child's inflatable wading pool. The effects of dynamite fishing are hard to miss...
...years, a growing number of fishermen have been using explosive devices here to stun their prey and bring it to the surface. It takes only a few hours to bomb out an area of hundreds of square meters, securing a full haul but causing irreparable damage to the live coral at the base of a reef's ecosystem. Fishermen use homemade fertilizer bombs, dynamite and even ordnance left over from World War II. The return is quick and lucrative, netting them many times over what they would make using conventional methods. But once bombed, the area is devoid of life...
...more than 81,000 square kilometers of coastline and 17,000 islands to patrol, the Department of Fisheries faces a herculean task, and it doesn't cost much to avert the eyes of a prying inspector. Marine biologists estimate that well in excess of half of the nation's coral reefs suffer some damage from dynamiting. Environmental education programs are having some effect, but international demand and a willingness to pay top dollar for reef delicacies like the napoleon wrasse make it difficult for conservationists to get their message across. Over the past 10 years the situation has worsened...
Fred and Wilma would be hip: rocks are in. Today's trendiest fashion houses are studding pants, blouses, bags and belts with enough of them to fill a quarry. A Bill Blass evening gown is strewn with coral beads; Valentino adorns a pants-and-top set with turquoise and coral; and the extra-wide strap on Marni's messenger bag is festooned with rhinestones...