Tourism is one of the largest industries in today's world economy on which developing countries depend as a great source of income using their natural resources. But tourism development can put pressure on natural resources, especially fauna and flora, leading to the appearance of the negative impacts.
Coral reef ecosystem is one of the most attractive as well as harmed natural resources. This ecosystem is not restricted to corals only but it supports a highly diverse fauna and flora including approximately 30% of all known fish species. Coral reefs are found throughout tropical and subtropical oceans, so the majority of them lie within the waters of developing countries, make the situation worse. Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are one of the coral reefs hotspots in the world. Egypt is home to over 1800 km of diverse fringing coral reefs with 261 fish species, from which 27 are commercial species representing over 48% of the total landings.
In Ras Mohamed Protected Area, one of the richest coral reef areas in Egypt, threats facing coral reef ecosystem still appear due to recreational SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Divers and snorkelers from tourists like to catch the colored coral reef fishes to be kept as souvenirs or to be used in illegal trade. They also can damage reefs during diving or as a result of diving boats. The paid efforts to protect coral reefs In Ras Mohammed have helped minimize their damage, but raising the awareness of local population and dive operators is still needed in addition to putting penalties for violators. |
