The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF), also called the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), is a group of six countries working together: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. These countries collaborate to keep ocean and coastal areas healthy by solving important problems, such as making sure people have enough food, protecting the environment from climate change, and preserving different sea plants and animals.

Background

The "Coral Triangle" (CT) is a region near Earth's equator where the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans meet. Scientists used the number of coral and reef fish species to define the CT's boundaries, which include most of the exclusive economic zones of six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste (called "CT6").

This area covers 1.62% of Earth's ocean and is widely recognized as the most diverse and abundant marine region globally. It is home to 76% of all known coral species, 37% of all known coral reef fish species, 53% of the world's coral reefs, and the largest mangrove forests. It also supports the spawning and growth of young fish for the world's largest tuna fishery and serves as a breeding ground for six species of endangered marine turtles, fish, and whales like tuna and blue whales.

The natural conditions in the CT may help it remain productive even as climate change affects the planet. Scientists believe it could become a key "refuge" for marine life. Its high natural productivity supports unique wildlife and ecosystems, which benefit local communities and governments by improving human lifestyles.

Marine and Coastal Living Resources

The Coral Triangle has valuable marine and coastal resources that support about 363 million people. These resources provide food, income, and protection from severe weather. Keeping these ecosystems healthy is essential for their long-term benefits.

These resources face serious threats. The Coral Triangle is where many people live, economies grow, and international trade expands. Fish and other marine life are vital for income, food, and exports in all CT countries. Tuna, which eat reef fish and shrimp, meet growing demand in countries like Japan, the United States, Europe, and China.

Threats include local issues like overfishing and harmful fishing methods (such as using explosives or poison to catch fish) and pollution from land runoff, such as too much soil and nutrients. Coastal development also harms habitats, such as mangroves and seagrass. Pollution from the ocean and the trade of endangered species, like aquarium fish, further threaten the region.

Although the health of these resources is concerning, recent data shows some resilience. In 2021, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) reported that the East Asian Seas region, which includes the Coral Triangle, had higher coral cover in 2019 (36.8%) compared to 1983 (32.8%), the year the earliest data was recorded. This increase happened despite large-scale coral bleaching in the 2010s. Algae cover in the region has also decreased, leaving five times more coral than algae on these reefs.

Establishment

In 2009, Indonesian President Yudhoyono worked with other leaders in the region to start the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF). This initiative is a cooperation between the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste (called the "CT6").

At a meeting of leaders in 2009, these governments agreed to create a 10-year plan called the CTI-CFF Regional Plan of Action (CTI RPOA). The plan aims to protect the region's marine and coastal biological resources.

Through the CTI-CFF, the countries in the Coral Triangle have committed to conserving nature while helping people. This includes supporting sustainable development, reducing poverty, and ensuring fair sharing of benefits.

The CTI-CFF also focuses on improving the lives of coastal communities by promoting economic growth, food security, and long-term livelihoods. At the same time, it works to protect species, habitats, and ecosystems in the region.

5 Goals of Regional Plan of Action

The CTI-CFF has a plan to accomplish the following goals:

• Choose and properly manage important ocean areas.
• Use the Ecosystem Approach to Management of Fisheries (EAFM) and other ocean resources completely.
• Create and properly manage protected ocean areas (MPAs).
• Implement ways to adjust to climate change.
• Improve the condition of species that are at risk of disappearing.

The long-term goals of the CTI-CFF are to:

Regional Secretariat

The Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Regional Secretariat was established during the First CTI-CFF Senior Officials Meeting in Bali in December 2007. It is responsible for promoting regional cooperation, sharing knowledge, and helping leaders learn from one another across the six Coral Triangle countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

The Regional Secretariat also organizes and tracks progress toward achieving the goals in the CTI-CFF Regional Plan of Action. Its main activities include improving organization, spreading information, coordinating efforts among regions, working on technical and thematic issues, creating important reports, and building skills. It also acts as the main contact for official CTI-CFF functions, such as the bi-annual Senior Officials Meetings and the annual Ministerial Meetings. The headquarters of the CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat is located in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The geographic scope for implementing the Plan of Action includes the waters under the control of each Coral Triangle government. This is done in line with their rights and responsibilities under international laws and the laws of each country. The application of the CTI does not affect the sovereign rights of the countries over marine resources within their own waters or their legal positions regarding boundaries between neighboring states. The geographic scope of the CTI is not meant to change the scientific definition of the Coral Triangle, which is based on the diversity of coral and coral reef fish.

Seascape General Model

In 2017, the CTI-CFF introduced the Seascape General Model. This model is a way of managing marine areas to help create a consistent plan for protecting the ocean and supporting future projects in important marine regions. Marine areas can have different descriptions based on how they are managed.

In the CTI-CFF Seascape General Model, a "seascape" refers to a large marine area that includes land, water, and the people who live nearby. This model also aims to help improve the economy, society, and environment in ways that go beyond just managing marine resources.

"Priority Seascapes" are specific marine areas that may span multiple countries or be within one nation. These areas are chosen based on seven criteria set by the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) and Council of Ministers (COM) of the CTI-CFF. The first criterion requires showing high value in at least three of the following areas:

The other criteria examine factors such as cultural and social importance, political support, involvement from people who live in the area, economic opportunities, and the availability of data to help make decisions.

The example given in the CTI-CFF Seascape General Model (2017) is the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME). This is a large, partially enclosed ocean area covering parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It was created using the "ecoregion approach," a method used by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to protect biodiversity in large areas. After being recognized as a Priority Seascape by the CTI-CFF, the SSME was renamed the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape. Projects like marine protected areas for sea turtles and fishing plans that include climate change efforts continue under the CTI-CFF Framework as part of the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape.

The CTI-CFF Seascape General Model (2017) offers a way to manage other marine areas in the Coral Triangle.

As of 2022, the CTI-CFF has officially recognized three Priority Seascapes: the Sulu Sulawesi Seascape, the Bismarck Solomon Seas Ecoregion, and the Lesser Sunda.

Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) 2.0 (2021-2030)

In 2009, a 10-year Regional Plan of Action called RPOA 1.0 was created for the CTI-CFF. In 2022, an updated Regional Plan of Action was published as RPOA 2.0. This plan included two main goals, along with objectives, targets, activities, and expected outcomes. The two objectives were summarized as: