Despite ongoing lobbying by the trade and industry specialists, the Indonesian government remains resolute in its decision to uphold its ban on coral exports from the South-east Asian country.
The government issued the blanket ban on all exports of corals last year, stunning the global ornamental fish industry.
The decision resulted from efforts ‘to synchronise regulations between the Environment and Forestry Ministry and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry’, said a minister.
The ban has resulted in more than 10,000 jobs being lost and revenue losses upwards of US$12m (£9.1m), said global trade group Ornamental Fish International.
On its Facebook page, the OFI said: “More importantly, all the coral reef restoration work that the farmers carried out has now stopped – 10% of their production is used to directly restore coral reef, but without an income, this work has now stopped.”
The OFI said the industry was hopeful that the ban will be lifted, but that this is unlikely to happen before the country’s general election on April 17.
