But it causes critical problems in much of the developing world, the greater part of the planet. Many television programmes have emphasized the aesthetic value of coral reefs. While this is good, the fact is that their productivity makes them more valuable to a greater number of people. This, however, has caused the greatest threat to them - overfishing, which often involves such destructive methods as the use of dynamite or other explosives and the application of poisons to capture both ornamental and edible species. These are often used by errant entrepreneurs to maximize their profits, usually at the expense of the local population.
Finite resources Overfishing is tied to population and poverty in many developing countries.
The growth of population in coastal areas is remarkable - but there is no commensurate growth of the reefs or their resources. So more and more people are depending on the same number of reefs - or even fewer as they become degraded. It is difficult to reduce the number of people fishing the reefs, because they have no other way to earn their living. The pervasive poverty of many coastal dwellers in developing countries aggravates the situation. Many marginalized, landless people often end up on the water's edge, trying to eke out a livelihood from a common resource to which they have free access.