targets for ecodivers carrying spearguns.  A few well-placed shots from a speargun would have an immediate effect  toward stabilizing reef ecology.  What makes my proposal so desirable is the fact that it avoids all the drawbacks normally associated with traditional environmental controls.  No funding is needed, nor is any regulatory agency involved.  No environmental impact studies are required, since the impact of parrotfish on coral reefs is already known.   Furthermore, the increasing popularity of scuba diving places a growing army of parrotfish assassins at the disposal of concerned environmentalists.  Parrotfish are normally so intent on destroying coral reefs that they could be speared by even the most inexperienced diver.

In certain cases, however, such solutions would be only mildly effective at best.  In some areas of the world, the abundance of parrotfish poses such a menace to the coral community that  individuals acting alone are not enough to stem the growing tide of destruction.  In such instances the use of dynamite appears to be the only environmentally- sound solution.

Most tropical dive resorts have a fleet of boats at their disposal.  Since they typically anchor at the edge of  a reef to drop off divers, they are in an ideal position to toss explosives  where parrotfish congregate.  For safety purposes,  I recommend that such activities take place after each dive.  Dynamite tosses would have the added benefits of  fostering a spirit of  friendly competition among divers and lending a festive air to the dive trip, much the way fireworks do. 

Environmental agencies act ponderously and we cannot wait for them to protect our reefs.  Unless we act quickly to implement my proposal,  there may not be any coral reefs  to protect.   Coral reefs are Nature's legacy to us;  and like all legacies they deserve to passed on to the next generation.  If we fail in our duty to preserve this delicate ecosystem, the day will surely come when we find ourselves denied the simple pleasure of watching our children standing on a living reef.  

As members of a global community, we  have a moral responsibility to both ourselves and our children.  Unless we eradicate the parrotfish soon, we may lose an irreplaceable treasure:  that one golden moment when our children break off a piece of living coral for the first time and hold it up in wonder.  And how could anyone, regardless of their environmental insensitivity, want that on their conscience?