Ignatius Pereira
Thiruvananthapuram
The Fisheries Department has taken the initiative to
start a Mangrove Eco-system Research and Demonstration Centre at
Ayiramthengu, near here.
An ad hoc proposal will be
submitted to the State Government soon. If the project materialises, it
reportedly will become the first mangrove research centre in the
country.
The 50-acre mangrove forest owned by the
department at Ayiramthengu is an environmental hot spot. Many species of
animals feed and breed here. The forest provides a glimpse of how the
mangroves function as a habitat for many marine species, a safe haven
for otters and a favourite destination of migratory birds. While the
demand to conserve mangrove forests to protect the environment has been
raised for years, it was after the tsunami in December 2004 that the
need for mangrove-protected waterfronts as a dependable defence against
the waves gathered serious momentum.
The fact that mangrove forests enhance the fish wealth also began to get recognition.
Mangroves are also a traditional social link with coastal human communities dependent on the sea for their livelihood.
They preserve wildlife and provide precious food for livestock. Yet no serious efforts have been made to protect them.
The
Ayiramthengu mangrove forest was also threatened with extinction. In
1996, the Fisheries Department stepped in with a programme to preserve
it.
The success of the programme has now prompted
the department to put forth the proposal to start a mangrove research
centre. The department will provide the facilities for research.
M.K.
Prasad, chairman and executive director, Information Kerala Mission,
and an authority on mangroves, says Ayiramthengu is an ideal location
for research on mangroves and the Fisheries Department is the best
agency to promote it.
Dr. Prasad says that with the
mangrove forests in the State disappearing by the day, a research centre
can work wonders in augmenting mangrove forests.
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