Technical Reports

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

Status of marine and coastal environments and developing in Marine protected area network in India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2011) Choudhury, B.C.; Sivakumar, K.; Saravanan, K.R.
The coastal and marine environment of Indian mainland has been studied in detail to assess the present status and to identify and prioritize potential sites for conservation as Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas (ICMBA), in addition to the existing Marine Protected Areas. Detailed surveys were carried out all along the coastline between 2006 and 2010. This study followed the standardized global, national and regional level approaches to develop a criteria with several indicators which were used to identify ICMBA sites in India. A state-wise site matrix was prepared and prioritized based on identified indicators considering the ecological, cultural and socio-economic values of respective sites. A total of 350 sites were visited all along east and west coasts of Indian mainland and, of these, 106 sites were identified and prioritized as ICMBA. Along the west coast of India a total of 62 ICMBAs were identified, while 44 ICMBAs along the east coast. Of these 106 ICMBA, 22 ICMBAs have been prioritized for immediate conservation actions. These sites are proposed for consideration of Protected Areas under various categories largely as Conservation or Communities Reserves. Indian Coastal and marine ecosystems are among the most biologically and economically productive ecosystems in the world where these ecosystems are both a source of livelihood as well as of a range of ecological services that are critical for the day to day well-being of millions of people particularly coastal communities. Despite their tremendous ecological and economic importance and the existence of a substantial policy and regulatory framework, India’s coastal and marine ecosystems are under increasing threat. Numerous direct and indirect pressures arising from different types of economic development and associated activities are having adverse impacts on coastal and marine biodiversity across the country. Major anthropogenic direct drivers of ecosystem degradation and destruction include habitat conversion to other forms of land use, overexploitation of species and associated destructive harvesting practices, the spread of invasive alien species, and the impacts of agricultural, domestic and industrial sewage and waste. Additionally, climate change is likely to have a growing impact on coastal and marine ecosystems, including a likely increase in extreme weather events as well as sea level rise, warming of the sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification. Coastal habitats are also subject to powerful natural weather phenomena, such as tsunami, cyclones, hurricanes and storms. Indirect drivers of ecosystem change include demographic, socio-political, cultural, economic and technological factors.
Assessment of current status of threatened and protected marine flora and fauna in trade in India
(Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2010) John, S.; Kumar, B.M. Praveen; Choudhury, B.C.; Sivakumar, K.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, (WPA) prohibit the trade of protected marine species in India but illegal trade on these species was observed to be continuing in almost all maritime States and Union Territories. Illegal trade of these protected marine species was observed to be contributing marginal benefits to the rural fisher folks but it imperils the complex marine biodiversity in the country. Most of the elasmobranchs (Sharks, Rays and Skates) in India are threatened due to indiscriminate fishing. In India, seven species of marine elasmobranchs are protected by the WPA. Even though protected elasmobranchs were not encountered in the marine fish landing centres during the study period, their illegal trade cannot be completely ruled out. Majority of the elasmobranchs recorded in the fish landing centers were small in size. Ever increasing market demand for their meat, fins and cartilage are the major cause for this over exploitation. Among marine mammals the dugongs, dolphins and porpoises were caught either incidentally or deliberately in India. In many parts of coasts they have been traded in the domestic market although it was very occasional. Interviews with fisher folks revealed that dolphin meats were largely used for shark baiting than consumption. Occasional killing of dugong was also observed along the Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar, and Andaman Islands. Meat and eggs of marine turtles are consumed in many parts of the coastal India. Sea turtle landings are not rare on the southern coasts of India especially in the coastal areas between Tuticorin and Trivandrum. Illegal trade of sea turtle’s meat were also observed along the Indian coasts but it is rare or nil in Orissa. Vizhinjam harbor in Kerala is one of the major marine fish landing centers in India where the turtles were regularly traded in the open market. Protected marine mollusks and corals are also illegally collected and sold as curios in several parts of the country especially near the popular tourist beaches and pilgrimage centers. Most of these marine mollusks and corals are collected from the coral rich reefs around Gulf of Mannar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Beside, large quantities of seashells are also imported from Tanzania, Philippines and Sri Lanka to meet the local market demand. The imported seashells are then processed in Kanyakumari, Rameswaram and Tuticorin before sending to markets. Therefore, it would be difficult to differentiate the source of these materials whether they have been collected locally or imported from other countries. These processed materials are then either exported to other countries or traded locally. The size classes of these marine mollusks which have been observed in the markets were significantly smaller than the average size observed in the literatures, which itself infer that the populations in the wild have been over exploited and larger sized seashells have already became rare. Domestic markets for the illegal trade of seashells and corals are concentrated largely around pilgrimage and tourist areas. Among the west coast, major illegal marine curio trade exists in the state of Goa. Among the east coast, major domestic curio market was found in Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu). Lack of awareness, poverty, market demand and feeble enforcement are the major reasons for continuation of illegal trade on protected marine species in India. Therefore, integrated marine biodiversity conservation plan along with plan to upliftment of fishermen community is required to prevent illegal trade forever. Further, strengthening of infrastructure and capacity of enforcement agencies is also required to curb these illegal activities in the country. Most importantly, there should be an integration and cooperation between line departments such as Police, Customs, Forest, Fisheries and Coast Guard to successfully curb marine wildlife illegal trade in India.

Technical Reports

Browse

Filters

Settings

Sort By

Results per page

Search Results