ANNUAL REPORT 2013 - 2014 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD KSBB ANNUAL REPORT 2013 - 2014 Published by: Dr. K. P. Laladhas Member Secretary KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD L-14, Jai Nagar, Medical College P.O., Thiruvananthapuram Ph: 0471-2554740, Telefax: 0471-2448234 Email: [email protected] Website: www.keralabiodiversity.org Design and layout www.communiquetvm.tumblr.com Cover Photo Gokul R. Purple Moorhen Photo: Riyas Arun T. KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD 53 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD ANNUAL REPORT 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4 L14, Jainagar, Medical College.P.O Thiruvananthapuram - 695 011 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD 1 2 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD C O N T E N T S 7 DOCUMENTATION OF BIODIVERSITY THROUGH PEOPLE’S BIODIVERSITY REGISTER (PBR) 9 MARINE BIODIVERSITY REGISTER (MBR) 10 STRENGTHENING BMC 12 CONSERVATION PROGRAMMES 21 BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTRE 22 REGULATIONS AND NOTIFICATIONS 23 POLICY ISSUES AND ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT 26 NATURE EDUCATION 29 BIODIVERSITY AWARENESS PROGRAMMES 31 WORKSHOP/ SEMINARS 34 AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS 37 PUBLICATIONS 40 REPRESENTATION IN EXPERT COMMITTEES AND OUTREACH PROGRAMMES 43 FUTURE PLANS 45 AUDITED STATEMENTS OF ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 2013-14 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD 3 Dr.Oommen.V.Oommen Chairman Prelude In October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan, over 190 countries around the world reached a historic global agreement to take urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity. The international community is eagerly looking out for the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity with focus on sustainable development from 6 - 17 October 2014 at Pyeongchang, South Korea. This is the time for reckoning by all committed to safeguarding the variety of life on Earth. The rich natural diversity of Kerala forms an important part of our natural heritage and is an essential economic resource. Large number of plant and animal species are endangered due to habitat loss and fragmentation of forests. Most of the rivers of Kerala have become seasonal rain drains due to the degradation of forests. The unsustainable exploitation of natural products, for timber, forest produce and medicinal plants has led to depletion of natural resources. KSBB is firmly dedicated to delivering its commitments of conserving our natural heritage through action at local level. Although achieving our aims will be a big challenge many positive steps have been taken to address these issues targeted at community involvement in management of natural resources. Government will play an important role but cannot deliver this strategy alone. Our conservation efforts, supported actively by public have already made a vital contribution in protecting biodiversity. We fully recognize the importance of people in helping to arrest the loss of biodiversity. Ultimately, conservation efforts can only truly succeed with society’s support. All our efforts were thus concentrated in empowering the local Biodiversity management committees to manage their resources sustainably. KSBB has established a foundation for conserving biodiversity at grassroot level and I look forward to building on this foundation in coming years. The purpose of this annual report is to offer a glimpse into what Kerala State Biodiversity Board has accomplished during 2013-2014. 4 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD Dr. K.P. Laladhas Member Secretary Foreword It gives me immense pleasure in presenting Kerala State Biodiversity Board’s Annual report, a compilation of the institution’s achievements and challenges in conserving Kerala’s rich biodiversity. Notable progress has been made during the financial year, and our ambition is to ensure that the value of nature’s services is better understood and to enhance people’s personal connection with wildlife and nature. This year the Board has built on past investment and achievements in protecting, enhancing and restoring the condition of the region’s natural resources. Having established functional BMC in all LSG’s, building capacity across a range of institutions including BMC and creating awareness of the Act and rules was identified as the thrust area for 2013-2014. During the reporting period, efforts were concentrated on enhancing institutional capacity of relevant local self government by conducting BMC empowerment programme for Panchayat Presidents and Secretaries through District Panchayats. It pleases me to report a vastly improved facility for research in the form of a Biodiversity Research Centre. Our Conservation projects are gaining momentum and we implemented programmes targeted at conserving flagship endemic species, traditional varieties, farm animal diversity, marine and aquatic diversity, urban biodiversity etc. Peoples Artificial Reefs is a community based benefit sharing initiative implemented by KSBB for sustainable development. This is also an example of how knowledge related to genetic resource use can be effectively utilized to widen the economic opportunities of the communities. It is a privilege and great responsibility for KSBB to conserve this precious biodiversity which calls for collective action. I would like to thank the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Minister for Environment, the Board, the Executive team and all the field level staff for their unwavering support during the year in protection of biodiversity of Kerala. KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD 5 Photo: Sheeba Nandalal 6 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD DOCUMENTATION OF BIODIVERSITY THROUGH PEOPLE’S BIODIVERSITY REGISTER (PBR) PBR Trainings Exploration and inventorying floral and faunal diversity KSBB conducted PBR training sessions and were undertaken by the Biodiversity Management consolidation workshops during 2013-2014 in 151 Committee’s (BMC) constituted by KSBB at LSG level, Grama Panchayats. PBR was successfully completed and the data were documented in the form of People’s in 49 panchayats during 2013-2014. PBR works in Biodiversity Register (PBR). PBR provides data on municipalities of Kerala were initiated and training the the present status of biodiversity as well as the workshops were conducted in seven municipalities. traditional knowledge associated with it. The technical Linking PBRs data to conservation and developmental support for preparation of PBR was provided by the agenda of panchayats, based on local issues, knowledge Technical support group constituted in all the districts and available resources is underway. of Kerala. Photo: Sebastian Thomas KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD 7 Details of BMC Constituted and PBR prepared-2013-14 1043 BMCs (978 Grama 1. Total BMCs Constituted as of March 2014 panchayats + 60 Munici- palities + 5 Corporations) 2. Total No. of reconstituted BMCs (2013-2014) 154 BMCs 3. Total No. of District Co-ordinators 14 4. Total No. of Project Fellows 61 Total No. of PBRs completed and submitted to the 5. 49 Board 6. Total No. of PBR Trainings given up to March 2014 151 District wise details of PBR Trainings - 2013- 2014 No. of BMCs where PBR Sl. District training No. has been conducted 1 Thiruvananthapuram 14 GP +1M 2 Kollam 11 GP 3 Pathanamthitta 7 GP +2M 4 Alappuzha 7 GP + 1M 5 Kottayam 10 GP 6 Idukki Nil 7 Ernakulam 15 GP 8 Thrissur 25 GP+1M 9 Palakkad 12 GP 10 Malappuram 17 GP 11 Kozhikode 13 GP 12 Wayanad 1M 13 Kannur 12 GP+2M 14 Kasaragod Nil Total 143 GP + 8 M (GP- Gramapanchayat, M – Municipality) 8 KERALA STATE BIODIVERSITY BOARD MARINE BIODIVERSITY REGISTER (MBR) The underwater ecology of the inshore areas (440 sq km) of a stretch of 20 km sea coast from Valiathura to Puthukurichy, Thiruvananthapuram was documented in MBR. The MBR initiated by KSBB is a pioneering work to document the traditional knowledge systems of local fishermen. It is a record of the demersal species, ecologically important reefs and rocky areas, traditional knowledge on navigation, bottom configuration of the seabed, shoreline changes, and provided indicators to overfishing and marine resource depletion. The traditional way of navigation in sea using a visual triangulation method (kanicham) to identify location of naturally occurring reefs has been illustrated. MBR is a pictorial guide to the diversity of marine resources as sponges, corals, jelly fish, molluscs, crabs, star fish, rare fishes, sea birds, sea snakes, soft corals etc. The register is expected to develop strategies for ecosystem based approaches for sustainable management of marine Hoplolatilus fronticinctus natural resources with community participation and will play an important role in generating awareness of conserving natural resources sustainably. New Reports A significant outcome of this study is recording of nine new species from Kerala coasts for the first time. * Sirembo jerdoni (Day, 1888) Brown-banded cusk-eel Order: Ophidiiformes (Cusk eels) Family: Ophidiidae (Cusk-eels) A benthic species found on the continental shelf. This is the first record of this specimen from southwest coast of India. Sirembo jerdoni * Heteromycteris oculus (Alcock, 1889) * Sand crab (Albunea systemma) Common name: Eyed sole First report from India Order: Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes) * Rediscovery of Indian ringed skate Family: Soleidae (Soles) Okamejei powelli (Alcock, 1898) First record from Kerala coast; probably the first record Order: Rajiformes (Skates and rays) from west coast of India Family: Rajidae (Skates) * Hoplolatilus fronticinctus(Günther, 1887) Very rare, small, poorly known demersal skate. First Order: Perciformes report from India Family: Malacanthidae (Tilefishes) Common name: Pastel tilefish * Gymnothorax