Corallium has been intensively harvested for centuries, and both landings and population data provide strong evidence that most commercially viable Corallium beds are now depleted. Long term trends in landings from both the Pacific and Mediterranean and available data on population demographics of Mediterranean C. rubrum populations provide considerable evidence that known commercial beds of Corallium have declined to less than 20-30% of their historic baseline, meeting the criteria required for a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix-II listing (Bruckner 2009). Nevertheless, questions remain regarding the effective implementation of a potential listing. In March of 2009, approximately 40 experts from government agencies, non-government conservation organizations, the CITES Secretariat, academic institutions, and industry convened in Hong Kong to discuss the state of knowledge regarding the biology, population status, trade, and management of precious corals in the family Coralliidae and to examine issues surrounding the implementation of a potential CITES Appendix-II listing. The workshop involved presentations on the biology, taxonomy, and status of populations; fisheries; existing management approaches; trade and other threats; uses of Corallium and major markets; possible conservation measures including a CITES listing; and detailed country reports. This information, plus the working group tasks and reports, are included here in the Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Corallium Science, Management, and Trade.
Citation: Bruckner, A.W. and G. G. Roberts (editors). 2009. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Corallium Science, Management, and Trade. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-OPR-43 and CRCP-8, Silver Spring, MD, 153pp.
