Corals linked to local economy says Barbados coastal zone official

From an article posted on Caribbean Net News:

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS): “A Barbados with no coral reefs will result in no beaches, harsh wave environments, fewer fish, scant tourists, few jobs and a struggling economy.”

This observation was made by Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit, Dr Leo Brewster as he delivered a speech on the behalf of Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Dr Denis Lowe, at the launch of the ‘Oistins Reef Ball Gardens Project: A Solution to Coral Depletion and Community Livelihoods in Oistins’.

Describing the island’s coral reefs as “spectacularly beautiful ecosystems” of “greatest structural significance to the foundation of this island,” Dr Brewster said they also offered a “plethora of other benefits”.

“In their primary function as natural barriers to waves, the value of reefs, with regard to natural shoreline protection, is equivalent to millions of dollars. As such, coral reefs form the basis of our tourism product,” he underlined.