Seafood has been a staple in human diets since people have lived on coastlines. It’s a big economic force in all oceans around the world. Local fisheries all rely on reefs for habitat and spawning. Fisheries for pelagic species rely on coral reefs indirectly through the baitfish they consume.
Especially in less economically developed countries, coral reefs are important for fishing. Here, coral reefs contribute to 25 percent of total fish catch. This provides food for many millions of people!
It’s estimated that one billion people depend on coral reefs for food and income from fishing. Sustainable management of coral reefs can yield a lot of food. Around 15 tonnes of fish and seafood per square kilometer per year.
Long story short, fish and other marine life exist because coral reefs give them food and a place to live. So coral reefs = food for us. Although fish are friends, not food where we come from!