Seeing red precious coral trade in East Asia

Precious corals have been harvested and traded internationally since as early as pre-dynastic Egypt, valued for their beauty by diverse cultures around the world. Seeing Red: Precious coral trade in East Asia focuses on the CITES-listed Corallidae family, which comprises over 40 species and three genera of precious deep-sea corals.

Corals in the Coralliidae family are distributed throughout the world’s tropical, subtropical and temperate oceans, but in only two areas – the Mediterranean Sea and the northern Pacific Ocean – are they commercially exploited.

The new study examines CITES¹ and Customs data to present an overview of the changing trade in CITES-listed precious corals in the Coralliidae family, and potential consumption trends that could threaten the species if not addressed.

Between 2011 and 2015, roughly 80,000 individual pieces and 210 tonnes of CITES-listed raw Corallium corals were imported globally. Between 2011 and 2015 Aka Coral C. japonicum, distributed throughout Japan, the northern Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan and valued for its intense red colour and characteristic translucent finish, was the dominant species in trade.

While various conservation and management measures have been introduced in different countries/territories as well as protection of four Coralliium species as CITES Appendix III-listed species from 2008, there remains concern over conservation status of the species. Pressure from persistent demand and a slow rate of renewal makes them vulnerable to over-exploitation, and illegal fishing and trade has been reported.

It is vital that Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong SAR consider their respective and changing roles in the exploitation and trade of these precious resources and introduce necessary measures to achieve sustainable use of the species

Hiromi Shiraishi, author of the report

Market surveys conducted in Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong SAR revealed that although differences in species and product preferences exist, tourists from mainland China seem to consistently play an important role as consumers of precious coral products across the board.

The popularity of coral products in Japan is mostly aligned with consumers aged over 60, with coral jewellery commonly given as a 60^th birthday gift; 58% of stores surveyed in Tokyo were offering Corralium products for sale, with one shopkeeper stating that 70–80% of his customers were foreign tourists. All stores claimed that their C. japonicum was harvested in Japan.

Although market surveys in Beijing, China, revealed that only a small proportion of stores (20 shops out of 1,800) were selling precious coral items, many shopkeepers insisted the prices were rising by as much as 20–30% a year as raw coral was becoming increasingly rare.

The market survey data collected and analysed indicate that the trade and demand for CITES-listed Corallium corals has changed over the past decade, but discrepancies in reporting, traded quantities, and illegal harvesting in the North Pacific driven by the high prices raw coral can fetch, present significant challenges in painting an accurate picture of trade, as well as of the health and distribution of wild populations.

“As knowledge of the populations and conservation status of Corallium corals is limited, there is an urgent need for research in range and harvesting countries and territories to gain a better understanding of these issues,” said Hiromi Shiraishi, TRAFFIC’s Programme Officer.

“Standardising data collection models between countries and introducing specific Customs codes for Corallium corals would make significant inroads into revealing how circumvention of official trade occurs.”

TRAFFIC presents a series of recommendations, covering sustainable management, regional co-operation, data collection, and effective implementation of CITES, to help stakeholders work across supply chains towards a fully transparent and sustainable trade in these precious resources.