Man and coral reef
Traditional fishing
Reefs still give nourishment to millions of people living on tropical coasts and regions. Fishermen set out to sea on their boats fitted out with nets, traps and harpoons to take food for their families and to sell the surplus on the local markets. During the low tide, women and children sift through the reefs and puddles to find molluscs, fish and shellfish. If properly used, the reefs could virtually supply about 15 million tons of food every year (approximately 12% of the world's total catch). Unfortunately, though, reef animals have been indiscriminately cleaned out everywhere and fishermen are now having more and more problems earning their living. The first ones to disappear where large fishes, such as groupers. Crayfish used to be food for the poor in the Caribbean but now they have become so rare only tourists can afford to eat them in restaurants.
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