October 14, 2004
10/14 - Reefs At Risk: Study says Caribbean reefs are worth $2.2 billion/yr
Nice that someone put a dollar figure to their value.
Tourists: ya gotta love 'em.
It's good they're giving reefs monetary value but after reading the piece, the number seems too low. It's 2.2 b for shoreline protection, but there's also the 2.1 b earned by the diving industry, so that's 4.3 b, and that's not considering the x billion earned by commercial and recreational fishing, to which reefs are vital.
Another way to look at it -- to borrow from the Master Card ads:
Seaside towns safe from wild water: $2.2 b
Underwater memories of nudibranch, queen angelfish, and barracuda: $2.1 b
Luring a 3 foot bonefish with a 3 cm fly: $1 b
Catch of the day with lemon juice: $10 b
Conserving beauty and natural benefits for future generations: priceless
Something like that. (The fishing numbers are made up).
Posted by: Mike Misner at October 14, 2004 07:41 AM