A turnaround at Sanya National Coral Reef Nature Reserve?

Abstract

Located in the South China Sea, Sanya, Hainan province, is China's only seaside tropic resort city where 13 million tourists visited annually. While Sanya's GDP rose by tenfold over a decade, such unprecedented growth also brought pollution, habitat destruction and other stresses that overwhelm its coral reefs. Since 1980s, researchers noted a plummet of coral coverage from 80 to 12%, with significant declines in distribution and diversity as well. While the central government tried to control such damages through legislation, its ability to influence policy implementation was limited. At the local level, performance of city and provincial government officials was measured by GDP growth and their ability to meet job and tax revenue targets. Hence, enforcement of protection laws was not a priority, even in marine reserves. Recently, however, research and monitoring have gained traction, media reports become less censored, and government priorities have shifted to include environmental protection. Public awareness has increased, and the authorities seem to recognize that conservation is not just good governance, but also good business practice. Summarized here are China's recent efforts in managing the Sanya National Coral Reef Nature Reserve, its only national-level MPA dedicated to coral reef conservation. Through literature research and interviews, we examine the roles played by scientists, journalists and government officials, and how science informs policy making and management. A turnaround is perhaps underway due to renewed prioritization from the central government.