CMYK ADVOCACY FOR CONSERVATION Identification of Potential Marine Important Bird Areas in India Raju Kasambe Project Manager, IBA-BNHS Lakshadweep group of islands, Gulf of India at Gahirmatha, Rushikulya, and Mannar, and Gulf of Kachchh. The Devi river mouth, all of which are in the Introduction Andaman and Nicobar group is the state of Orissa. India has a coastline of 8,118 km with richest in terms of diversity. Mangrove Twenty-five species of marine an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of ecosystem is found along both the east mammals of Orders Cetacea and Sirenia 2.02 million sq. km and continental shelf and west coast of India, covering an are found in Indian waters. Sea Cows area of 468,000 sq. km, spread across 10 estimated 4,120 sq. km. Important (Dugong dugong), for example, are coastal states and seven Union mangrove areas exist in the Sundarbans, found in the waters off Gulf of Mannar, Territories, including the islands of Bhitarkanika, Krishna and Godavari Gulf of Kachchh, and the Andaman and Andaman and Nicobar, and delta of Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The islands of Lakshadweep Archipelagoes. Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Kachchh, and Andaman and Nicobar and The marine ecosystem of India is the Pichavaram Vedaranyam area of Lakshadweep are considered to be extremely diverse, which is attributed coastal Tamil Nadu. Seagrass beds are biodiversity hotspots, where large to the geomorphologic and climatic found along the coast of Tamil Nadu, numbers of endemic flora and fauna variations along the coast. The coastal Lakshadweep Islands, Andaman and exist. and marine habitats include banks, Nicobar Islands, and the Sundarbans. Nearly 75 species of seabirds are offshore, gulf waters, tidal flats, There are 770 species of seaweeds found in the marine environment of mudflats, coastal dunes, mangroves, found in shallow waters all along the India. Some species of marine terns marshes, wetlands, seaweed and Indian coast, particularly in Tamil Nadu, breed in huge numbers on some islands, seagrass beds, deltaic plains, estuaries, Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, and like Vengurla Rocks (Burnt Island), Pitti lagoons, and coral reefs. Lakshadweep (Rajagopalan 2008). Island, and Adam’s Bridge. Many There are four major coral reef areas Five species of sea turtles are found species of seabirds are recorded on in India – along the coast of Andaman in Indian waters, of which three nest in various offshore islands, but there is a and Nicobar group of islands, the huge numbers along the east coast of great need for systematic studies on the Proposed Marine IBAs in India MISTNET Vol. 13 No. 4 October-December 2012 13 CMYK ADVOCACY FOR CONSERVATION marine birds of India to document their diversity as well as breeding status. Marine IBA Workshop The Marine IBA project of India is funded by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), UK. A workshop about the Marine IBA programme in India was held on September 28, 2010 at Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai. Scientists working on marine biology who participated the workshop included B.C. Choudhury (WII, Dehradun), Priya Davidar (ECOS, Pondicherry), Vinod Malayilethu (Senior Coordinator, Marine Programme, WWF-India, stationed at Cochin, Kerala), Shirish Manchi (SACON), Manish Chandi Asad Rahmani (ANET/NCF), Bhavik Patel (BNHS, A congregation of Brown Noddy at Pitti Island Kachchh-Gujarat), Manan Shukla (BNHS, Kachchh-Gujarat), S. Bala- Thalasseus bengalensis and White- number of seabirds found here exceeds chandran (Asst Director, BNHS, Point cheeked Tern Sterna repressa, and 1% threshold population of the Marine Calimere, bird migration/wetland related many other species of seabirds. The IBA Criteria A4iii (20,000 seabirds). This studies and ringing expert), Asad R. Marine IBA covers the waters around Marine IBA includes seawaters within Rahmani (Director, BNHS), Ian Barber Kavaratti, Agatti, Suheli, Bangaram, a radius of 25 km for Lesser Crested (International Officer, Asia, RSPB), Kadmat, Amini, and Perumal Par as Tern, and the boundary is an Raju Kasambe (Project Manager, IBA- foraging range for marine birds. The sea approximately 7 km buffer from the IBCN), Deepak Apte (Asst Director, water in a radius of 25 km is included as islands in the bay. Gulf of Mannar was Conservation, BNHS), Mohit Kalra foraging range for Large Crested Tern declared as a biosphere reserve in 1989. (GIS Analyst, posted at Delhi), Amrita Sterna bergii. Pitti Island was declared Neelkantan (Advocacy Officer, Delhi), as a wildlife sanctuary in 2000. 4. Point Calimere, Palk Strait, Tamil Sujit Narwade (In-charge, BNHS ENVIS Nadu Centre). The workshop focused on the 2. Beleapani Reef, Lakshadweep The number of seabirds found here development of a strategy for Islands exceeds the 1% threshold population for identification of Marine IBAs in India. This includes Beleapani Reef with Marine IBA Criteria A4iii (20,000 seabirds) In liaison with marine biologists, five waters around Chereapani Reef, Bitra, as congregations of multiple species are potential Marine IBAs were identified Chetlat, and Kiltan as foraging range – recorded here. The site is an important in India. The project used Global Marine 80 km for Sooty Tern, 25 km for Great wintering ground for thousands of IBA criteria designed by BirdLife Crested Tern. It is an unprotected area. migratory terns, gulls, and waders, International. These Marine IBAs are including waterfowl. It also supports a as follows: 3. Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, Tamil good population of the Near Threatened Nadu Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor. 1. Pitti Island, Lakshadweep Islands The Gulf of Mannar is an important The Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Pitti Island and the islands around it wintering ground for many species of Sandpiper Calidris pygmeus has been are an important site supporting the seabirds and waders which flock to the reported here. Point Calimere was breeding and migratory populations of islands in the gulf. Thousands of Lesser declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1967. many marine terns including Sooty Tern Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis come Onychoprion fuscatus, Brown Noddy roosting and forage in the sea around 5. Vengurla Rocks (Burnt Island), Anous stolidus, Great Crested Tern the island during the daytime. They also Maharashtra Thalasseus bergii, Lesser Crested Tern breed on Adam’s Bridge Island. The This island is important for the 14 MISTNET Vol. 13 No. 4 October-December 2012 CMYK ADVOCACY FOR CONSERVATION nesting and or sighting of various Cherbaniani (Beleapani Reef), management of PAs. Several PAs have marine terns including Bridled Tern Byramgore, and Suheli Pitti need to be not been legally gazetted yet. The Sterna anaethetus, Great Crested Tern declared immediately as Marine Bird absence of management plans and S. bergii, Roseate Tern S. dougallii, and Sanctuaries. monitoring processes also hampers the Lesser Crested Tern S. benghalensis in effective management of PAs. Low huge numbers exceeding the 1% Agreements related to seabirds to investment in both manpower and threshold population for Marine IBA which India is a signatory financing, and inadequate inter-agency Criteria A4i and A4iii (20,000 seabirds). India became a signatory to the CBD coordination also adversely affect PA This marine IBA includes the sea waters in June 1992, and the Convention itself management. upto radii of 25 km for S. bergii and 10 came into force on December 29, 1993. Thus, several issues hindering km for S. dougallii from the island. It is The CBD sets out the obligations of effective establishment and management an unprotected area. States to the conservation of biological of PAs have been identified by India. diversity, the sustainable use of its The Government pointed out that Need for Research components, and the fair and equitable enabling mechanisms were still being There is a need to study the marine sharing of the benefits arising out of developed to incorporate governance, species in India, as studies on single the utilization of genetic resources. participation, equity, and benefit sharing species in the marine environment have India, in its third report to the CBD of CBD targets into the legal framework. not been done in India. in 2006, highlighted the following It was also emphasized that currently activities initiated under the Programme there are limited provisions for sharing National Priorities of Work on Coastal and Marine benefits with the local communities. It India has 38 Marine and Coastal Biodiversity: MCPAs (Marine and was reported that little data is presently Protected Areas. These PAs has been Coastal Protected Areas) have been available on the socioeconomic status notified either as national parks or declared and gazetted; management of communities dependent on PAs, and wildlife sanctuaries under the Wildlife plans have been developed with the that efforts need be taken to collect such (Protection) Act, 1972, though there is involvement of all stakeholders; information. no specific provision or mention of effective management with enforcement MPAs under this or any other and monitoring has been put in place; Marine and Coastal Protected Areas legislation. There is an urgent need to and a national system or network of in India address this issue and include the seas MCPAs is already in place and is being There are 38 MCPAs in India, and the ocean waters in the legislation. further developed. primarily in marine and coastal The study of seabirds in Indian Ocean The report also states that India has environment, which