Pieces of beautiful coral, such as the kind that can be found in tourist souvenir shops in southernmost China's island province of Hainan, are being used more and more as raw materials in limekilns, a practice which has contributed to the shrinking coral reef along the scenic coast.

The province has just concluded an effort to straighten out the order of the coral market, during which 182 illegal limekilns, four coral reef workshops and 76 shops were shut down for exploiting the coral reef for profit.

The island had 50,000 ha. of coral reef in 1960s, which extended some 1,200 km. Recent survey results show only 22,000 ha. left on some 480 km of coastline, according to statistics with the provincial marine resources department.

In August 1998, Hainan intensified the penalties for illegal coral reef exploitation.