For nearly three decades, Javier Barker has fished in the Caribbean Sea surrounding the Colombian island of San Andres - but until recently he knew little about the importance of coral reefs that fish depend on to survive. "I used to think corals were just hard stones. I didn't know that corals are living creatures," said 40-year-old Parker, who began line fishing as a teenager with his family. "I now know corals are cradles for fish, and healthier corals equals more fish so corals are important for everyone," he said. Worldwide, coral reefs from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean have come under growing stress as a result of rising ocean temperatures caused by climate change and other human-induced pressures including overfishing, pollution and tourism.

Moloney, A. (2018, November 13). Colombia's island fishermen dive into battle to protect coral reefs. Malaya Business Insight, p. B5.