By B,B,
For Horizon

A fisherman recently told me that he had seen some Crown of Thorns Starfishes (Rrusech as they are called in Palauan) on some coral heads in our lagoon, which could be a warning that these marauding reef destroyers might be making a return to our waters. "The number I saw was not large, unlike the quantities that blanketed many sections of Palau’s reefs in the late sixties and early seventies, but their mere presence at this time should alert us to their destructive potentials. We should do everything in our power to eliminate these coral eaters and reef destroyers before they become real problems for Palau", the fisherman said.
Over thirty years ago when this pest became a real problem for many Pacific island countries and territories, scientists from many institutions and universities in the Pacific region and beyond joined forces to combat this threat. The Crown of Thorn Starfishes (Rrusech) feed on the soft tissues of living corals. They move over the top of the coral heads sucking off the soft substances, leaving behind only the "bleached white" dead corals to show where they passed. "Something has happened to the world ecology that has upset the delicate balance whereby this coral predator was kept in check", one scientist said at the time.
At this time when we are concerned about the warming of the World’s climate, the return of the Crown of Thorns Starfish could be one of the results of the climate change along with the droughts, stormy weather, and the rising of the tides. In addition to its coral destruction, this animal can also be harmful to humans. A puncture by one of its spines can be very painful and can cause numbness, vomiting, and sometime even paralysis. I was once stung by one of these pests during a fishing trip and I can tell you the pain was almost unbearable. It lasted for most of the day and well into the night, which prompted me to swear to destroy any and all Crown of Thorn Starfishes (Rrusech) that I would henceforth see in Palauan waters or anywhere else.
The fight against the Crown of Thorn Starfishes evolved into a considerable community effort in Palau in the late sixties and early seventies, thanks to the efforts the traditional and elected leaders of Palau made in convincing the population to rally against this common threat. Many young people joined an island-wide effort to remove these pests from our waters. Armed with diving masks, specially-made spears, and latticed plastic containers, they scoured the coral heads of the reefs for the offending critters. The ones they collected were brought to a designated disposal sites for destruction. Specially trained divers were equipped with syringes containing chemical doses that were injected to the animals, which killed them on the spot.
The program was so successful that by the late seventies, Palauan waters were declared "practically free" of the Crown of Thorns Star Fish menace. It was said, however, that before the Crown of Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster Planci starfish as it is called scientifically) was pronounced under control in most Pacific areas, it had destroyed many square miles of Australia’s famous Great Barrier Reef. Let us hope that if these nasty pests were to invade our waters again, we would rise again as one to eliminate them forever from our country.