RI gets US$33.3 million for coral reef management

"The commitment of funding support from several donor countries and institutions was agreed on at a senior official-level meeting of CTI in Bali last week," he said.
The CTI groups Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands and Timor Leste (CT-6).
The CT-6 covered a total area of 75,000 square km and had 500 species of coral reef which is habitat of more than 3,000 fish species.
"The coral reef area is also known as the Amazon of The Seas because it has the world`s richest biodiversity," he said.
The coral reefs in the area are food sources for 120 million inhabitants of the coastal areas, breeding areas for tuna, and a regional economic source with an estimated money circulation amounting to 2.3 million US dollars per year, he said.