'India should protect coastal areas to save fisheries from collapse'

New Delhi, July 22 (UNI) International Environment NGO Greenpeace has called for increased protection of India's marine diversity, both for the preservation of the ecosystem and for significant economic gains to accrue from such measures.

At present, India's marine protected areas cover less than 0.3 per cent of the Indian Economic Zone.

''In a country where millions depend on the productivity of the oceans, marine reserves are the clear way forward, says a report 'Indian Coastal and Marine Ecosystem: Planning for the Future' brought out by Greenpeace.

Apart from their environmental benefits, marine reserves (areas closed to extractive uses, for fishing and industry) also benefit fisheries in surrounding areas, as fish catches increase.

For instance, a network of marine reserves in St. Lucia in the Caribbean led to fish catches in surrounding areas increasing by 46-90 per cent within five years.

If a network of protected coastal areas is established in consultation with local fishing communities, it could yield significant economic benefits to the fishing community, besides protecting our marine biodiversity, the report said.

The report presents case studies that highlight India's iconic coastal biodiversity hotspots (Sunderbans, Bhitarkanika, Pichavaram, Coringa, Gulf of Mannar) and the threats they face, ranging from overfishing and loss of habitat to industrial destruction and aquaculture.

As the Pichavaram case study shows, these ecosystems (such as mangroves) are often the first line of defense against natural disasters such as cyclones and tsunamis.

''India's marine diversity is spectacular and diverse; dense mangrove forests, coral reefs and seagrass beds and thousands of species of flora and fauna that thrive in these ecosystems. But we are losing these fabulous resources even as we speak; at present, India's marine protected areas cover less than 0.3 per cent of the Indian Economic Zone,'' said Sanjiv Gopal, Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace India.

According to Rose Young, project leader of the Defending our Oceans expedition of the Greenpeace globally, two thirds of all major fish stocks have been either over-fished or are at their biological limits.

''While the situation in India is not yet as bad, it is essential that preventive measures are taken now, before fisheries here reached a state of collapse. If action is taken now, this country can ensure the livelihood security of millions who live on the edge of survival,'' he said.

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