By: Wesley Zhao

When you think of illegal trafficked animal goods, you might think of rhino horns or tiger bone, and you will most likely not think of coral. People are trafficking corals from tropical areas like Fiji, Tonga, and Australia. They are selling them to rich countries who are clueless about where they got the coral from. This major issue has been going on for a few years now.

Most people think that coral aren’t animals, they are plants. ”But no, they are tiny invertebrates that live in vast colonies”.(New York Times,2024) Smugglers hammer and chisel the coral and then pack them into small bags and put them into crates along with other animals. Coral were the third most confiscated group from 1999 to 2018. It is common that by the time the coral reaches its destination, it will have died. Kim Stone said that the animals are dead because coral creates a heavy mucus layer for protection when they’re stressed. Mucus then fouls the coral’s small reserve of water causing more stress creating what Kim Stone calls as a “downward spiral”.(New York Times,2024)

Coral are very important to the ocean. They provide habitats for many sea life but they face diseases and cyanide fishing from humans. Officials are now trying to find coral and put them back into their habitat. But returning them to their habitat is very hard and tiresome. First, they have to keep the coral with them and take care of it as evidence against the trafficker. Next, they need to find out where it originated from. Finally they have to put it back, but the countries might not want the coral back. So they came up with a solution: They gave it to zoos and aquariums near airports and ports.

There are solutions though: In 2023, Wildlife Confiscations Network was created. Since then, they have already processed 2800 animals and more than 70 legal cases. This is really important because it can save coral from becoming extinct and keep the ocean clean.