Continuous pressure on the environment arising inevitably or otherwise out of technological progress and human

population growth has made it necessary to place a commodity value on biodiversity (Randall, 1991)

Mohamed, K S

Sethi, S N

Sethi, Shalini

Sundaray, J K

Thangavelu, R

CMFRI Digital Repository

K SFishing Chimes molluscans have been tested for a broad range of biological activities. Molluscan metabolites have been most commonly tested for neuromuscular blocking action , anti-predator, antimicrobial, anti-neoplastic and cytotoxic activity. Perhaps the most promising metabolite isolated from a marine mollusc is Dolastatin 10, an anti-neoplastic peptide isolated from the sea hare Dolabella auricularia (Pettit el al., 1987). The medical properties of this sea hare were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, with the extracts being recommended for the treatment of some diseases as early as 200 BC (refer to Pettit el al., 1987). Dolastatin 10 has recently reached clinical trials in the United States andis reported to be one of the most potent anticancer agents known (Carte , 1996). Toxic peptides produced by predatory snails in the genus Conus also provide a valuable resource. These toxins are being used as tools for neurological research (Carte 1996) and are being traded as strong pain killers and potential drugs against epilepsy, depression and schizophrenia (Concar 1996). These two examples demonstrate the potential for isolating commercially viable metabolites from marine molluscans. Ziconotide is a 25-30 aminoacid linear peptide exhibiting three disulphide bonds; it occurs along with other peptides in the venom of the predatory Indo-Pacific marine molluscs, Conus magus (Olivera, 2000). Conus magus and other Conus species are fish-huniing molluscs that use their venom to paralyse their prey (Kahn, 1956). Again the deadly nerve toxins,i.e., conoioxins, block channels regulating the flow of potassium or sodium across the membranes of nerve or muscle cells. Others bind to N-methyl-D asparta te receptors to allow calcium ions into nerve cells and some are specific antagonists of acetylcholine receptors responsible for muscle contraction. Thus conotoxins are valuable probes in physi ological and pharmacological studies (Myers el al; 1993). The remarkable analgesic activity of Ziconotide (the compound proved to be 1,000 times more active that morphine in animal models of nociceptic pain) is due to the blockage of calcium channels (Mc Closkey et al ; 1987 and 0Iivera,2000). Antimicrobial, cytotOXIC, antitumour, tu mour-promoting, anti-infiamatory and antivi ral agents have all been isolated from sessile, soft-bodied marine organisms (Ca rte, 1996). The chemicals that h2ve evolved to protect these benthic organisms are intrinsically bioactive and are often highly acti~ in too many pharmacological assays to be used directly as drugs (Faulkner, 1995a). Sea hare, Aplysia spp. which is a shelled organism, produces a substance that has undergone clinical trials for tile treatment of cancerous tumours. It produces a compound that shows good potential for curing bladder cancer in human beings. The Conservation Status of Marine Molluscans The present state of knowledge on the conservation status of marine mollusans is poor. The criteria for assessing the conservation status of marine species are largely based on terrestrial situations and are generally not considered appropriate for marine taxa (Allison el al., 1998; Ponder, 1998; Chapman, 1998). There is currently little understanding of the rarity of marine invertebrates or threats to marine habitats. Therefore , it is essential that an understanding of these factors is developed, in order to conserve marine biological diversity. Research aimed at improving the baseline data through systematic assessment of marine biota is necessary (Endangered Species Advisory Committee (ESAC), 1996; Dept. Environment Sport and Territories (DESn, 1997). Habitat Protection : The identification and protection of important habitats and representative ecosystems is essential for conservation. Given the general shortage of time and funding, rapid recognition of thre2tened habitats containing large numbers of endangered and endemic species (the hot spots) could be essential for conservation. Wilson (1994, pg 320) has suggested "the primary tactic in conservation must be to locate the world's hot spots and to protect the entire environment they contain". This will require habitat mapping, community descriptions and inventories to provide an adequate assessment of conservation status (ESAC, 1996). This "ecosystem approach" is vital if we are to ensure the health of our oceans for future generations. An ecosystem approach promotes both conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources in an equitable way. It is a holistic approach that considers environmental protection and marine management together, rather than as two separate and mutually exclusive goals. Paramount to the application of this approach is the esta blishment of networks of fully protected marine reserves, in essence , "national parksl sanctuariesl Vol. 30 No. 31 June 2010 biosphere reserves" ofthe sea (The Wandur National Park located in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean, First marine national park of India, Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat, Gulf .of Mannar Marine National Park, TN). These provide protection of whole ecosystems and enable biodiversity to both recovering and flourishing of marine resources in general and molluscan resources in particular. References: ALLISON, G.w., LUBCHENCO, J., and CARR, M.H. 199B.Marine reserves are necessary but not sufficient for marine conservation. Ecol. Appl. 8: S79-S92. ANIL CHATTERJI. ZAKIR A. ANSARI ,BABAN S. INGOLE, M. A. BICHURINA, MARINA SOVETOVA and YURI A. BOIKOV. Indian marine bivalves: Potential source of antiviral drugs, current science, Vol.B2, No. 10,25 May 2002. BEATTIE, A.J. 1994.Conservation , evolutionary biology and the discovery of future biological resources. In Conservation Biology in Australia and Oceania. C. Moritz and J. Kikkawa, Surrey Beatty and Sons, Sydney. CARTE, B.K. 1996. Biomedical potential of marine natural products, Bioscience 46(4) : 271-285. CHAPMAN, M.G. 1998. Social and ecological concepts of rarity and threatened ness of marine invertebrates. Intemational Symposium of Ihe Society for Conservation Biology, Abstracts, Macquarie University, Sydney, July 13-16, 1998. CONCAR, D. 1996. Doctor Snail. New Scientist. 19 October, 1996: 26-28. Cragg, G.M., Newman, D.J. and Snader, K.M. 1997.Natural products in drug discovery. J. Nal. Prod. 60:52-60. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, SPORT AND TERRITORIES (DEST). 1997.0urSea, Our Future. Major findings of the State of the Marine Environment Report for Australia. Commonwealth Government, Canberra. EISNER, T. 1990.Prospecting for nature's chemical riches. Issues in Science and Technology 6(2):31-34. EISNER, T. and MEINWALD, J. 1990. The Goteborg Resolution. International Society of Chemical Ecology. Reprinted In Chemoecology 1 :38. ENDANGERED SPECIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ESAC).1996. l'>Iational Marine Invertebrate and Plant Conservation Issues. Biodiversity Group.Environment A.ustralia. Canberra. FAULKNER, D.J.1995a,Chemical riches from the ocean. Chemistry in Britain 31 :680-684.lnternational Union of Puree:@"" ------------------------------------------~~Hrm---Fishing Chimes and App l ied Chemistry. 1996a. Preservation and uti lization of natural biodiversity in context of sea rch for economically va luable medicinal biota Recommendations. Prepared by Andrews, P.R., Borris, R. , Dagne, E. Gupla. M.P .• Milscher, L.A., Monge, A. , De Souza, N.J. and Top li ss, J.G. Pure & Appl. Chem. 68(12): 2325-2332. KOHN , A. J. 1956. Piscivorous gaslropods of the genus Conus. Proc. Nat!. Acad. Sci. 42:168-172. MCCLESKEY, E.W .. FO X, A.P., FELDMAN , D. , CRUZ, L.J .• OLIVERA, B.M., TSIEN, R.W. and YOSHIKAMI, D. 1987. u-conotoxins: Direct and persistent block ade of specific Iypes of calcium channels in neurons but not muscle. Proc 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century - 2010 Maheswarudu Gidda has a place in the list ---~~=-,......,~--.. The Editorial Dr. Maheswarudu Gidda, Scientist-in - Charge , Visakhapatnam Centre of CMFRI. Board of I nterna tional Biographical Centre (IBC), Cambridge , Eng land has unanimously agreed thai the biography of Dr. Maheswarudu Gidda is worthy of in clusion within 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of Ihe 21 $1 Century. H is biography has now been assigned to one of the International Biographical Centre's Senior editors who will be working to compile his entry into the Centre's standard biographical format. The publication on 2000 Outslanding Intellectua ls of Ihe 21 " Cenlury being brought out by Ihe IB C, Cambridge , accurately profiles the foremost illuminali in the wor ld and it is anticipated Ihal demand will be high for this title, with the various high-profile Research Institutes and Libraries across the globe showing great interest in acquiring this important biographical research work. The prestigious in clusion of the biography of Dr. Maheswarudu Gidda, pre se ntly Scientist-in -Charge , Visakhapatnam Centre ofCMFRI is a greal honour not only to Dr. Maheswarudu but also for all the marine fisheries scientists of India. """ Nat! Acad Sci USA 84: 4327-4331 . MYERS, R.A., CRUZ, L.J., RIVIER, J.E. and OLIVERA, B.M. 1993.Conus peplides as chemical probes for receptors and ion channels. Chem. Rev.93:.1923-1936. OLIVERA, B.M. 2000. ,,-conoloxin MVIIA: From marine snail venom to analgesic drug. In : Fusetani N (ed) Drugs from the sea. Karger, pp. 74--85. PETIIT, GR., KAMANO, Y., HERALD, C.L., TUINMAN, A.A. , BOETINER, F.E ., KIZU , H. , SCHMIDT, J.M., BACZYNSKYJ, L., TOMER, K.B. and BONTEMS, R. 1987. The isolation and structure of a remarkable marine animal antineoplastic constituent: Dola5tatin 10. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 109:6883-<3885. PONDER. W. F. 199B.Conservation. Pp 105-115, Part A in Mollusca the Southern Vol. 30 No. 31 June 2010 Synthesis. Fauna of Australia Vol. 5. P.L. . Beesley, G.J.B.Ross and A. Wels (Eds), CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. RANDALL, A. 1991. Th e va lue of biodiversity. Ambia 20: 64-67. TANGLEY, L.1996 . Ground rules emerge for marine bi opros pectors. Bioscience 46(4):245-249. WILSON, E.O. 1994. The Diversity of Life. Penguin Books Austra lia Ltd, Victoria. WORKSHOP IN KUALA LUMPUR .1 996.Guidelines to facilifate access to biological resources and the equitable sharing of benefits in the soufh east Asian Region. April 6-9, 1996. Ministry of Science, Techno logy and the Environment, Malaysia. Purse seine Nets Supply by Garware Wall Ropes Ltd., Pune to Faroe Islands in Southern Pacific In the recent years, Garware \!Vall Ropes Ga rware Wall Ro pe s Ltd., Pune Ltd , Pune , India has emerged as a participated in the supply of a full set of conspicuous supplier of polyethylene fi~hing fishing gear that included a pair of brand nets to various foreign countries. One of the new purse seines.Garware Wall Ropes recenl supplies made by company has been Lid., has the distinclion of supplying fishing to a Faroe company, Vinnan. This company nets and webbings to severa l foreign acquired a new purse seining vessel named fishing companies. The faciliti es at its net as Tr6ndur i G0tu, a B1.60 m long vessel making plant at Pune are at pa r with with a main deck of 7.20 m, fitted with a faci lities at reputed fishing net making main engine of 6,000 Kw. plants in the west. """ Marine Products Exports from Indian cross $2-b mark Despite globa l recess ion and a stronger rupee, marine exports crossed the $2 billion mark for Ihe first time in the 2009-2010 fiscal , Ms Leena Nair, Chairperson of the Marine Products Export Development Auth ority (MPEDA) said. Indian seafood export volumes grew 10 per cent to 6,63,603 tonnes while realisation grew 15 per cent 10 Rs 9,921.46 crore during 2009-10. Fo rei gn ex cha nge earnings were up 10 per cent at $2.105 billion. Addressing a press co nference in Kochi, Ms Nair said the industry had been impacled by a host of factors beyond its conlrol but for which the realisa lions would have gone upto Rs. 200 crore and $50 million during last year. Shrimp conlinued to dominate Indi a n seafood exports accounting for 42 per cent of dollar rea lisations. The strengthening of the rupee continued to daunt Indian exporters. As a result, the unit value realisation from shrimp export increased by a meagre 1.53 per cent. Frozen fish repositioned itself as the principa l item in terms of quanlity and second largest in value. Dominating the volumes, it accounted for 38 per cent of the total quantum of marine exports realising 20 per cenl of Ihe total fo reign exchange earnings. Although cultlefish exports continued to grow in volume and value, the foreign exchange earnings were hampered and there was seven per cent decline in unit value realisation. While export of squid registered a nominal growth in volume, the realisation in rupee and foreign currency registered a fal l. Whi le severa l countries in the EU continued to reel un-der the after effects of the global recession, the region continued 10 be Ihe larges t market accounting for 30 per cent of the foreign exchange realisation. Acceleratin"g exports to China made it the second largest buyer, acco un ting for 18 pe r cent of va lu e realisations. Although a late enlrant into the big league, rapid export of frozen fish made the South-East Asian countries the third biggesl buyer, accounting for 15 per cent of Indian seafood exports in value. Japan accounted for 13 per cent and the US 10 percent. Mr Anwar Hashim, President of the Seafood Exporters Association of India , said it was high time that Indian industry is elevated from a pre dominantly frozen fish exporter to va lue added fish products exporter to the South East and West Asian countries. GI~~~<~---------------------------------------

Status of Bioprospecting of Marine Molluscs in India

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Status of Bioprospecting of Marine Molluscs in India

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