The Chinese Coast Guard is warning of a dramatic rise in the poaching of wild red coral.
Around 80 people have been arrested over the past year in connection with the illegal harvesting of red coral worth over 100 million yuan.
Hu Xuedong with the Chinese Coast Guard says the methods being used to harvest red coral are very bad for the environment.
"The way red coral is harvested is very harsh. Heavy stones are tied to steel cables, which slams the net into the ocean floor. This basically acts as a plow on the seafloor, and causes heavy damage, affecting the local food chain. It is a predatory, destructive harvesting method. It should be banned worldwide. "
Red coral, highly valued as jewelry, grows only 3 to 4-centimeters in 20 years.
It has been a protected species in China since 1988.
International conventions also limit its trade.
Certain forms of red coral can fetch upward of 10-thousand yuan per gram.
