The most important actions for promoting healthy coral reefs begin at the local and national levels. A collaborative effort among local governments, environmental and community groups will ultimately result in the successful conservation of reefs. For these approaches to work, legis lation backed up by enforcement of these laws and regulations must be in place to protect reef resources. Restrictions alone will not work. Successful management approaches address the underlying causes of reef degradation by providing alternative livelih oods for people engages in destructive activities through economic necessity, training fishers to use less destructive fishing methods, and regulating access and use of reef resources by establishing community ownership over reef fisheries and through oth er approaches.
Environmental education plays an important role in building public support for reef management.
One of the most effective approaches for combating threats to reefs is through a well-managed, representative marine protected area system. Marine parks, sanctuaries, and reserves can protect reef ecosystems and species while generating tourism dollars and maintaining the vitality of nearby fisheries. The World Conservation Union has called on countries to protect 10 percent of all habitat types. However, countries with some exceptions, protect by far a lower percentage of their coral reefs. Protection alone, however, cannot safeguard reefs from the sedimentation, pollution, and other threats that originate outside the boundaries of parks and reserves.