Marine

Programme Goals
To maintain the biodiversity and ecological processes of marine and coastal ecosystems while ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.

Background
India has a long coastline of about 8000 kms which is inhabited by over 6 million fisherfolk. Two island groups, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands, have been identified as part of Global 200 eco-regions (Marine Eco-regions) by WWF. It is estimated that the continental shelf alone has an area of 0.44 million square kms, with an estimated potential of 4.5 million tonnes of marine produce per year.

For centuries fishing community has exploited this vast ecological niche, home to a variety of marine organisms in the inshore waters, providing coastal and inland villages with an inexpensive source of protein, while maintaining an independent and self-sufficient life style.

India has declared a 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) wholly in the Indian Ocean, with sovereign rights for exploring and exploiting the living and non-living resources of the sea. The largest mangroves in Sunderbans, Bay of Bengal, unique in its bio-diversity, act as a salt tolerant system and has been designated the status of a World Heritage Site by WWF in the Indo Malayan - Indo Pacific region.

The country's marine biodiversity is outstanding with a wide variety of species found in the ocean. Coral reefs, which are regionally outstanding in terms of their spatial cover and diversity, are also found in the Andaman and Lakshadweep Islands and Gulf of Mannar.

Dugongs are found in large numbers in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, their residential population being the most vulnerable in the region. Some species of whales like Falsekiller whale, Balenoptera and Humpbacked whales have been documented by scientists.

Besides a large number of fish, India is home to 5 out of 7 species of marine turtles in the world and has a major mass-nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtle on the Orissa coast. All the five species of sea turtles along with marine mammals are severely threatened and endangered

Threats to the Maritime Life:

• Increase in industrial and developmental activities.
• Depletion of marine resources due to over-exploitation and trade to meet the increasing demand.
• Inadvertent killing by the fishing nets, accidental death due to straying into the shallow waters and other natural causes
• Wanton killing by the fishermen by deploying gillnets in the area where marine mammals frequent during certain seasons.
• Pollution resulting form increased industrial development along the coastal regions.

Priority

• Support establishment of marine protected areas in the country.
• Promote conservation awareness amongst local fishing communities, through a participatory approach to conserve marine resources.
• Develop a comprehensive programme for studying species of special concern like whales, dugongs, marine turtles etc.
• Create awareness and understanding of coastal and marine ecosystem.
• Advocacy for the development of effective legislation and policies.

There are number of federal research and development agencies and institutes like Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, National Institute of Oceanography, Marine Products Export Development Agency, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Higher Education and Learning Centres like Central Institute of Fisheries Education and Centres for Advanced Studies in Marine Biology, etc in India.

There are also a number of NGOs and community based organisations working on coastal and marine resources conservation and management and livelihood issues, especially fisheries. While these agencies work according to their mission, research and development priorities, an approach towards Integrated Coastal Zone Management is the need of the new millennium. There is also a vital need to bring all such agencies on one forum.