Introduction
The Coral Triangle is known as the “Amazon of the Seas” due to its vast biodiversity, containing 76% of the world’s coral species and being home to thousands of fish species. However, beyond its beauty, the Coral Triangle is also a massive economic asset. Millions of people depend on the sea here: small-scale fishermen, tourism operators, and countries that rely on fisheries and tourism revenue.

Unfortunately, if the Coral Triangle’s ecosystems are not preserved, the economic losses could amount to billions of dollars per year. This article explores in more detail the potential economic losses that lie ahead.

Current Economic Value of the Coral Triangle
According to various studies, the Coral Triangle contributes an extraordinary annual economic value:

  • US$3 billion per year from coral reef fisheries.
  • US$1.5 billion per year from tuna fisheries, one of the world’s main commodities.
  • US$24 billion per year from marine tourism (snorkeling, diving, ecotourism).
  • Millions of dollars from ecosystem services like coastal protection and blue carbon storage.

With such value, the Coral Triangle should be considered a strategic regional economic asset. However, the threat of ecosystem destruction puts this asset at risk of being lost.

How Economic Losses Occur

  1. Decline in Fishery Yields
    Fisheries are the backbone of coastal communities' economies. However, overfishing, IUU (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated) fishing, and habitat destruction have reduced fish stocks.
  • Fishermen are forced to go further out to sea, spending more on fuel.
  • Fish catches are decreasing, and fishermen’s incomes are falling.
  • The country loses potential tax revenue and fisheries exports.
  • If this trend continues, the fisheries in the Coral Triangle could collapse, resulting in billions of dollars in losses.
  1. Collapse of Marine Tourism
    Marine tourism is the fastest-growing sector in Southeast Asia. Destinations like Raja Ampat (Indonesia) and Palawan (Philippines) are famous for their coral reefs.
  • If the reefs bleach and die, tourists will switch to other destinations.
  • Hotels, restaurants, dive operators, and small businesses will lose income.
  • Countries will lose foreign exchange and jobs from the tourism sector.
  1. Loss of Ecosystem Services
    Marine ecosystems provide free services worth billions of dollars:
  • Coastal protection: Reefs and mangroves reduce wave energy by up to 97%. If these ecosystems disappear, the cost of rebuilding coastal infrastructure could skyrocket.
  • Carbon storage: Mangroves and seagrass beds store more carbon per hectare than tropical forests. The loss of these habitats means releasing carbon into the atmosphere, leading to higher costs for climate mitigation.
  1. Social-Economic Costs
    Economic losses are not only about lost money, but also social costs:
  • Health: A food crisis due to dwindling fish stocks will increase public health costs.
  • Unemployment: Fishermen and tourism workers will lose jobs, triggering social instability.
  • Conflict: Competition over increasingly scarce marine resources could lead to local or even international conflicts.

Concrete Data on Potential Losses
World Bank studies estimate that coral reef damage could lead to losses of up to US$350,000 per square kilometer per year from lost fisheries, tourism, and coastal protection services.

  • If 50% of the reefs in the Coral Triangle are lost, the economic loss potential could reach tens of billions of dollars per year.
  • In Indonesia alone, the marine tourism sector could lose over US$500 million per year if a massive coral bleaching event occurs at key tourist destinations.

Real-Life Case Studies

  • Maldives (Indian Ocean): Coral bleaching in 1998 caused a sharp decline in marine tourism, resulting in major economic losses in a short time.
  • Philippines: The decline in small pelagic fish stocks (like sardines and mackerel) has impacted the canning industry, hitting exports and jobs.
  • Indonesia (Bali 2023–2024): Mass coral bleaching led to a decrease in diving and snorkeling tourism in several locations.

These cases highlight how vulnerable the economy is when the sea is not protected.

Why Is This a Serious Threat?

  • The Economic Value is Huge: The fisheries, tourism, and ecosystem services in the Coral Triangle are worth tens of billions of dollars.
  • Millions of Livelihoods Are at Stake: From small fishermen to tourism operators.
  • Losses Are Not Easily Recovered: Marine ecosystems take decades to recover; meanwhile, economic losses occur every year.

What Can Be Done?
To prevent large-scale economic loss, concrete actions are needed:

  • Sustainable Fisheries Management using an ecosystem-based approach (EAFM).
  • Expansion of Marine Protected Areas to allow fish stocks to recover.
  • Development of Ecotourism that maintains environmental preservation while generating income.
  • Blue finance innovations like carbon credits from mangroves and “debt-for-nature swaps.”
  • Regional cooperation through the CTI-CFF to combat IUU fishing and protect cross-border ecosystems.

Conclusion
The destruction of the Coral Triangle is not just an environmental tragedy, but also an economic catastrophe. The loss of coral reefs, mangroves, and fish stocks would mean the loss of billions of dollars each year, the collapse of tourism, rising coastal protection costs, and the destruction of livelihoods for millions of people.

Protecting the Coral Triangle is not just a moral obligation to preserve biodiversity, but also the wisest economic investment for the future. By protecting the ocean, we protect jobs, foreign exchange, food security, and regional stability.