Japan Urges China to Act Against Illegal Coral Poaching

Red coral

It has recently been reported that Japan has urged China to act against the threat of illegal coral poaching. The demand came when Japanese officials warned that Chinese fishermen presently in the area would not be allowed to seek refuge on the Ogasawara Islands, situated roughly 600 miles south of Tokyo, from a typhoon which is anticipated to arrive on Thursday. Japan has bolstered its coastguard and police attendance after witnessing a climactic increase in the number of poachers illegally harvesting red coral in its restricted economic zone. Normally, Chinese poachers illegally harvested coral in the East China Sea and near the island of Okinawa but are believed to have moved to the Ogasawara archipelago to escape strict security. It is said that more than 200 Chinese fishing boats have been sighted in waters off the coast of Izu and Ogasawara Islands, inciting calls for Tokyo to put more pressure on Beijing. Members of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party approved a solution demanding the government to implant the strongest probable protest, adding that they were infuriated by the "barbaric act of pulling out coral by the roots." Chinese officials indicated that they were taking preventive actions to stop the illegal harvesting of coral. Late last month, the Japanese coastguard arrested a Chinese fisherman suspected of poaching coral after an 85-minute chase.

Example of jewelry made of red coral

It is highly essential that China and Japan must team up to put a stop to the illegal harvesting of coral, especially red coral. For thousands of years, red coral has been traded and made into jewelry and ornaments. This practice continues today in China where jewelry made from red coral is popular among wealthy people. However, illegal harvesting of coral has and continues to significantly damage the marine life off the coast of China, Japan, and other places where red coral is found. Therefore, it is crucial to impose strict laws banning the illegal harvesting of coral around the world and not just in specific locations such as China, Japan, and the Mediterranean. Illegal harvesting of coral can tremendously affect other marine wildlife which rely on coral as a source of food, shelter, etc. Without coral, other marine species would face starvation, predation, and numerous other threats which would dramatically deplete their numbers. This is why it is absolutely necessary to take serious measurements to prevent any illegal harvesting of coral in order to ensure the survival of marine species around the world.

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