Marine World Act betimes to stop fast depletio

James, P S B R

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r..:w ,' ~ -,'" ··,x ·,· , ·· .. . .. . : .. -, '-::-.:.;: ~"":-j.~ . ' .. :;~~-- '.~~ ' .~ ,; i~/ ';': THE HIND~. Sunday, MB~ch 9,' 198(t . ;.: ... ~/. :.: ' {,,:~~~,~'_~ '. : ,,:(.;:;: ,\;. :.:.. t' ./ .... :_~:;' ._.:. . _.-'; ... ~,~:\: :t' . J ". "In the -LakshadY.oeep··the' hermatypic COf"8ls i ;~ MARl NE",WORLDi~;;t;-2';<",;. .': ~~~:b~,~~J~~i:E~i~~~~:=~ !":: . ,:' :<":'"",$0,." .,:',-, .-,>- ' 'C"<'-: ': •. ~ • • . p\~:':'~...:.. :~ " : to the expansion of the islandS: Formation of 1 • ' " - '" - , " -'~ • land Is an importanl function of cOfals_ Having :';A cf Deli m'es';to',"sto p K~~!~~~~~~~~:t~~~n~~~.\?,;~. ·;~· ·f · ~ ;-' .,..,;' t d<':'-' "'~~:- .. ' . ,: "1'- ,'-- t' -~ /c>~;/'-,~ ";"~ .. i.'i'.;J~t."· ' . .' .t~~~'~'~~";~S~~~= ~r.: i':. : as e p 'e' Ion" '~&3tf+'~'- tion causes large scale stirring of bottom, Oi'3:4 , ,t: : . " /f::.'''S'·;;' .'.'.: " turbance even at 1 metre depth affects corals . . ;' .' i .,· · - '.<~ , <~":'~::.L' .~, "': :' -,\-~'" : ~, -: ' 1" ic~:>,l'::': ,:., '.'" ". ~ei~gl~~~f ~1~aJ:~~I~k~=r:u~ , ,. TH€: WHdllfe (ProtectlolvAct. -' 1972 Is the gardlng the Importance of conserving the .dug· comls which in turn affected the balt.fish ~la . . ::. mbst recent and Important step, taken in ong and lIS vulnerability to fishing. " . . trons on which the pole and line fisflery for .: , India ·to save nature and \...Gology. For the pro- " . ' The present methods of capture of dunong tuna. a most important economic 9Ctivity of the ', ~~!: ' Iectldn of environment and Its_ management In· . should be studied in detail for streamlinlnn toe islands, depends. ' . . -~ : cludll'lg the marine ecosystem. the Department regulatory measures In fishing. , ~", ',- ' - . '. . tt has been estimated th&t 2.(XX) mUllan too- ; '~of Environment nas been established. Other Qr- The existing laws prohibiting the capture of 'nes of calcareous sand and boolders ItI"1I ''V81f- ~ . ·ganisatlons like the Indian Board of Wildlife, the dugong should be revIewed and up-dated. . able in the lagoons of laksh9d...veep and 6bovt . ': BomlJ(l', Naturel History Society and World WU· Co-operative action between India, and Sri 700 million tonnes of 1.1 can be safely extracted (lUfe Fund-India. are also actively associated Lanka is urgently needed for the protection and ' for Industrial use. There Is a proposal to 99t up with conservation and :management of en· conservation of the dugong. .' , ~ a 2O-tonne a day white cement manufactUftog · dengcred species. ··· No developing nation Sanctuaries should be declared in the areas plant. Lorge scale removal of' calc.:1roous sand spends as' much 65 India on the conservation of of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk B<!y. Tho pro-: and boulders fron the coral reef will result in her wlldlif( ~. However. a rTlOfe aggressive role . posed NatIonal Marine Park In the Gulf of Man-: serious ercs-ion problems. The lagoons also CQ!1' ; by India is called for In the context of continued nar from, the Indian side .and similar proposal; tain some seaweeds of high pharmacev1iCllI . Elxploitatlon and threat posed to the diminishing From Sri Lanka should be Implemented. - value. The potential yield of fish Is estimated at ~ , natural r~.ources. .. " Monitoring of the free stocks of dugong about foor lakh tonnes, tho present catch amoun-'j · While tllere are' a number of marine species ' . should be done on a continuous basis to esti- ting to just one per cenl. These elrod Olhr re- j (smeller (eISCeans. dugong, white bemed sea' mate the 'numbers and stud~ the effect of ra--- SOurCes ere Interlinked with the ecosystem and Elagl~. ' e·;tuarine crocod!!e. marine turtles. gulatory measures. ' thus nlghlightg the extremely fmglle, nature 01 -coconut ':lr robber crab and the ' corals) that Captive breeding stocks should be maintain- the environmental structure. Ellhaustlve studies need del<cate handling, .three of them call for. ed In India and Sri Lanka. on the ~ologicol end envi(onmental aspects of. JmmedlOt::! Clttention. . . ' The second most Important and endangered largo scale exploitation of naturnl rCSO\Jfces In The dugong or \ "'; ':' ~ lllermald of legendary . marine community -Clre the corf/Is and coral Lakshndweep are stili needed before ony largo fame. 'Tha animal is conSidered to be ~n ~he refFfs. This ecosystem is composed of an in-_ ·scale development actiVit ies are contomplotoo .. verge of extinction, Uncontrolled explOItation credible variety of life-sea·anemones. sea: . The prospects 01 conservation of th,~ m<Jllne , has seriously depleted its population thr~gh. cucumbers. sea·urchins, giant clilms and beautl· and estuarine turtles are somewhat brighter_ All '- out itB w ide range of distribution along t~Q tropl . . fully coloured fishes danCing tn and out of the the five species of sea turtles In India are pro-(:81 and sub-tropical coasts of the Indian and coral forest-a veritable undef\.'\'8ter narden. tectad. Even so. there is no debating that the fu-western Pacitic Oceans. The Gulf of M~nnar, at Also they.conlri!,ute to the enormous b!OI~I. ture of the sea turtle populations Is insecure India's own baclward. is perhaps a major habl- cal wealth In the form of sea food and other In--- During breeding 8C£l9On. hundreds of HYIng , tat of the dugong. Here itself. the docile and dustrial products. This In itself is an adequate turtles are carried away for marketing. through ~l8!"mless animal is reported to be fast. depleting reawn to avoid uncontrolled ellpioltat k)n. The crude methods of transportation, Turtles Bf8 t!"llfl-· In numbers due partly to greed and partly to death of corals on a large scale has occurred in sported during nesting 8O~on from Andhre I,~norance. Dugong meat is highly priced in the several countries like Japan. Indonesia. Flonda, and Orissa coasts to Calcutta market where vmag~s adjacent to t~ Palk Bay and Gulf of .. Colombo, French Polynesia. Tokelau Islands, there Is good demand for the meal Hundreds Manr'lar. Disturbance In the coastal areas dua Reunion, Arabian Gulf Dnd the Galaparlos The of dead turtles are washocl ashore. evidently kli-to Intense mechanised fishing, explOitation of reasons for mortality are several-the tt Nino led durlnq fishing operations. CommorClaI the coral reels whIch support and protect the sea water warmmg effect (corals are killed by slaughter of adult turtlos not far a ..... ay from . broWsing areas and ruthless hacking of the an Increase of sea water temperature elf as IIHle the C08St. probobly at -the tIme of oopulmlon timid animal for meat sounded the. death knen as 2-0. bleachIng of corals (loss of zoc>xanthel· goes on uMOOloci. ' . , . , fl)l' the dugong, : _ . , " . lae from coral tissues), accelerated lend clear- . . _ A lthough catching the animal is an offence ance. erosiOl1 and incr,eased sediment In water, The Central Marine FI,sherles Research In-lJndQ'r the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. poach. high levels of herbicides .and runoff of fresh ..... a· stiMe, Cochln has been engaged In e study on , ing continues unchecked, 'Project Dugong' on ter due to excessive rain. _. . marine nsherles resources. their exploltllllon • . the lines of the 'Project Tiger' should be laun- Human interference is the most dlt;concer· conservaUon and managemed1. ~has 81~ cheel if the animal has to be preserved for post· ' t lng activity that poses permanent thn;,at to the suggested the estabiistvnont 8 etlor>8 ar-8(;ty The kills are on the rise, the methods used lifa of, corals. Calcareous aecreticns .of corals 106 Park In the Gulf of Manr: ~ t~Jr~ '- t:ei,.,g brutJI. The animal moves en masse from . have grown over several thousands :of years. Uon of the flora and~eune id Id ~>m~ raz;n area to another. A t present. the prin- .' Sanef formed from such corals due, to wea- which If Implement ,wou prov eturtlee end ; ~p tuea~ where dugongs are seen are free therlng Is rich In calcium carbonate M .d is whlte returns, which shelter th~~MvlfOl'lnent . . . ive small 'boat traffiC and from' the In colour. Exploitation of corels and cc:)(al reefs smaller cetaceans. prot , 1TIIJlirle ' ~ l~r~mmerCial net fishing which pose ' for Industrial uses has gone u~bsted ~ntl! 6es- ,; from f~rttr d~~ rlora~~II!nd r!r-~de ~. major threats to this species In certain parts of . trlctiona were Imposed Inf lOOk'S recen it IIr~ recreat!e0nnec~~ elsewhere In the country. , the Id ' , . . . ,'.. dglng and blasting of r~ s ta es a gr(IB 0 may __ ~ to the Deport. -wor ' . mad' te rotection and conserva- the live corals. Conversion of corals Into coral The'lnstitute recentty pr~arch :,tecta or. i " t~;~t~e'~ugo~s Fn the Palk Bay and the '. sand and accum~~atiqn of s.il t is a Sln(ll~ m~~ Te~s~~;~~I~o~t~~r~eef~:;:; end~' Gulf of M annar. the following steps are sug- deleteriOUs condition that kills the sp .ecu:~s·t f e '~;:'Ject Dugong', . sides light the other Import,ant requlf tlmen or . J S g~~rstribution current numbers.' habitat pre· corals to grow is deafr unsd~ed wate:r. F~:I~~ ' P. 5; B. R. arne . f nd mi9r~lion - roUles have to be stud; reason. they do not orm e on~ v.el y I th Di~ector. Ct'litral M,)flllO '':d~:-~ ......... which measures for conservation coastline, Destruction of 'itycora f• ."n .ma."'ls ,ooe FisherlesRcseorch lnstlturtJ. ... Ud!:ot'U ..... ' k ' death of a vast commun .0 • Cochfn.' oovld ~ underUI en. sh' Id created. re- plants that live in close association wllh corals. ---, --'~--Public awareness , ou be. _ _ ' -- -- --,-- -

Marine World Act betimes to stop fast depletion

http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/7476/1/489-THE_HINDU__1986.pdf

Marine World Act betimes to stop fast depletion

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