Banco Chinchorro the last shelter for black coral in the Mexican Caribbean

Black coral is an important resource used for jewelry and handicraft. In Mexico, harvesting of these organisms is carried out mainly in the Mexican Caribbean at reefs located in the State of Quintana Roo. This activity provides economic support for authorized fishermen, craftsmen who manufacture the pieces, and merchants who sell the products to tourists. Exploitation of black coral began in the late 1960s off Cozumel Island (20°37'N to 20°17'N), which is located in the northern part of the State of Quintana Roo. At first, collecting was accomplished by snorkeling to depths of about 20 m. The use of SCUBA made access to deeper black coral banks easier, and the fishery expanded rapidly. In the 1980s and early 1990s reported yearly catch rates were between 1000 and 1500 kg of gross product. However, the management of this fishery has been inadequate, mainly due to the lack of scientific studies necessary to establish regulations for its sustainable use. This problem resulted in arbitrary exploitation conditions, which have changed in response to social interests, but without consideration of the exploitation potential of the coral populations. Therefore, the high demand for product in the market caused an overexploitation of black coral in this area. Finally, in 1995 authorities decided to suspend permission to collect black coral in Cozumel, due to the health risk to fishermen, since the colonies of commercial size had been depleted to more than 80 m depth.