Nature Initiative Kerala

Western Ghats unveil its amphibian diversity

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, November 17, 2016

Reinforcing the importance of the Western Ghats as a valuable reservoir of amphibian diversity, researchers from the University of Delhi have reported two new species of leaping frogs from Kerala and Karnataka.

The new species - Indirana paramakri and Indirana bhadrai - have been reported in the latest issue of PLOS One, an open access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science.

The authors, Sonali Garg and S.D. Biju, conducted DNA barcoding of over 200 samples to provide new estimates of the species diversity and distribution of Indirana frogs, an ancient genus endemic to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.

The specimens of Indirana paramakri were collected from wet rocks near streams and under leaf litter in disturbed forest areas in Settukunu and Sugandhagiri, north of the Palakkad Gap in Wayanad district.

The species epithet is derived from the Malayalam words ‘para’ meaning rock and ‘makri’ for frog, referring to the occurrence of the species on rocky terrain. Reddish brown with a black band extending from the nostril to the sides, the species is distinguished by its small snout- vent size and unique toe webbing.

Named after its habitat, Indirana bhadrai is currently known only from the Muthodi forest in the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, located north of the Palakkad Gap in Karnataka. The frogs were found on leaf litter in a secondary forest.

Distinguished by a pointed snout and toe webbing, I. bhadra is light brown with irregular dark brown blotches along the dorsal skin folds and a dark greyish-brown band between the eyes.

According to Dr. Biju, though several studies have been carried out on the Indirana genus, taxonomic ambiguities have remained an impediment for proper identification of species and estimates of diversity and distribution. “Our study provides new distribution records for all the currently known Indirana species.”

The researchers have outlined a distribution trend suggesting genetic isolation between populations of the amphibians found north and south of the Palakad Gap, indicating the role of elevational discontinuities in distribution. They have proposed a reassessment of the IUCN categorisation of all species for effective conservation of these relic frogs.

New fish species in Kerala waters

K.S. Sudhi.KOCHI,
The Hindu, August 29, 2016

Fishery resources of Kerala have become richer with the addition of a new edible and economically important species.

A Working Group of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi, has recently identified the establishment of Indian Chub mackerel, a new fish species, in Kerala waters. The meat texture of the species is soft and tastes similar to that of Indian mackerel. The species was identified by a group led by E.M. Abdussamad of the Pelagic Fisheries Division of the Institute.

The species is genetically and morphologically distinct from the other members of the family, said A. Gopalakrishnan, Director of the Institute.

In Gujarat

The species was first caught from Gujarat waters in 2015. Later, its presence was reported from all along the entire southern coast of India, mostly Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Nearly 10 tonne of the species was caught from the Kerala coast alone during this period, said Subal Kumar Roul and Said Koya, researchers of the Institute.

Fishes of the species that were netted during the period were all adults in the size range of 27cm to 29 cm and at post-spawning phase. This indicated that spawning occurred prior to their entry in the Indian fishery, Dr. Abdussamad said.

Big catch

This year, young ones of the species in the size range between 8 cm and 18 cm were caught in July from along the Malabar and central Kerala coast in appreciable quantity. Big schools of the species also appeared along off Chellanam coast in August. The biological studies confirmed that all specimens caught were early juveniles with gonads at indeterminate stage, he said. The landing pattern of the fish indicated that the species had successfully established along the Indian coast and is emerging as a fishery, said the scientists of the Institute.

74 tiger deaths since January drive home poaching, other threats

Avijit Ghosh |
Times of India, Jun 29, 2016

NEW DELHI: At least 74 tigers died between January 1 and June 26 this year in India. Worryingly, there is also a spike in poaching-related fatalities as 2016 reaches its halfway mark, statistics collated from different parts of India by a well-known wildlife NGO shows.
Among these, 14 tigers were electrocuted, poisoned or simply killed by poachers, and much of the carcass was recovered. Police and wildlife authorities also seized skins, bones, claws, skeletons, canines and paws of another 16 tigers during this period, taking the tally to 30, as per figures provided by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). It is possible that some of them might have been killed earlier but the deaths are accounted for only after the seizures.
Another 26 tigers were "found dead", a category that includes mortality due to disease, old age or unexplained circumstances. Statistics shows the remaining 18 were victims of infighting (12), tiger-human conflict (2), road or train accidents (3) and fights with other animals (1).comparison, 26 tigers fell victim to poachers in the entire year of 2015, according to WPSI. Besides, there were 65 deaths due to other reasons as specified above, taking the overall tally to 91 last year.
However, tigernet.nic.in, a database on mortality of tigers and other key wildlife species across India, offers a different figure. The website puts the figure of tiger deaths so far this year at 52, with another 15 when seized body parts are taken into account. The database is a collaborative effort of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and TRAFFIC-India, a wildlife trade monitoring network. According to the national census in 2014, the number of tigers in India is 2,226 (minimum 1,945, maximum 2491).
A state-wise look at the 2016 figures indicates that the maximum number of deaths (19) occurred in Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra and Uttarakhand take the second spot with nine fatalities each. Madhya Pradesh also has the highest number of recorded deaths on account of poaching: six.
WPSI records show that in the past three and a half years, tiger poaching and seizure of body parts have been reported from 15 states: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Among them, the majority of cases are from Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Wildlife experts feel intelligence-led enforcement operations are key to thwarting poaching. "We are lacking on this front. Most of the time our frontline staff in protected areas are not even aware of the modus operandi of poachers. International cooperation is necessary to break the criminal nexus and reduce the demand of end-products in China and south-east Asian countries," Tito Joseph of Wildlife Protection Society of India said.
Loss of habitat is another issue that ails tiger conservation.The big cat's habitat is now limited to "7% of its original range", said conservation biologist Raghu Chundawat. "Poaching of the tiger is not the only reason for this (deaths). There are several issues and all these can be referred to as loss of the quality of tiger habitat. This can also include loss of prey , forest cover, connectivity etc," he added.

Pampa River Action Plan gets a new lease of life

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, April 1, 2016

The Pampa River Action Plan for pollution abatement and conservation of the river basin has received a fresh lease of life, with the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change sanctioning the release of grant-in-aid of Rs.5 crore.

The aid was sanctioned on March 28 after the Ministry approved the utilisation certificate submitted by the State on work taken up under the scheme in the last 12 years.

However, the Central share of the project was slashed from 70 per cent to 50 per cent on directions from the Ministry of Finance.

Officials said the release of money signalled the Centre’s willingness to commit more funds for the ambitious scheme. Incidentally, the failure to submit the utilisation certificate in time had resulted in reduced flow of funds from the Ministry, eventually leading to allegations that the State had failed to tap the Centre for assistance.

The Ministry had sought clarifications from the State after noticing discrepancies in the initial utilisation certificate submitted in 2014 and the failure to furnish the expenditure statement.

Sanctioned in 2003, the Pampa Action Plan was allotted Rs.18.45 crore on a 70:30 cost-sharing basis between the Centre and the State. Of the Central share of Rs.12.92 crore, an amount of Rs.2.75 crore was released.

The project includes construction of a sewerage system and sewage treatment plants, bathing ghats and community toilets at Pampa and Sabarimala to control pollution of the river, primarily caused by the influx of pilgrims during the festival season.

Hailing the settlement of accounts since 2003, Pampa River Basin Authority Project Director George Chackacherry said the fresh tranche of funds would be used for upgrading the sewage treatment plant at Pampa and constructing connection drains.

The authority has prepared a Rs.200-crore master plan to enhance pilgrim amenities at Sabarimala and control pollution of the river. The proposal is awaiting clearance from NITI Ayog.

Sand-eating tadpoles found in Western Ghats

The Hindu, March 30, 2016
NEW DELHI,

Adding to the burgeoning cache of frog-finds in India, researchers have discovered a sand-eating tadpole that lives in total darkness, until it fully develops into a young frog.

S.D. Biju from the University of Delhi said in a statement: “We provide the first confirmed report of the tadpoles of Indian Dancing frog family. These tadpoles probably remained unnoticed all these years because of their fossorial [underground] nature, which in itself is a rare occurrence in the amphibian world.”

The group of scientists from the University of Delhi, the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and Gettysburg College, California discovered and documented the tadpole in the peer-reviewed PLOS One, an open-access journal.

The tadpole belongs to the so-called Indian Dancing Frog family, Micrixalidae. They get that name from their habit of waving their legs as a sign of territorial and sexual display while sitting on boulders in streams.

Though these kind of displays are well known, information on the tadpoles of these frogs were completely unknown, according to Dr. Biju.

In January, Dr. Biju reported in the same journal of a frog species called Frankixalus jerdonii, once considered a species lost to science.

Skin-covered eyes

The purple tadpoles were discovered from the deep recesses of streambeds in the Western Ghats and they possess muscular eel-like bodies and skin-covered eyes, which helps them to burrow through gravel beds.

Though they lack teeth, they have serrated jaw sheaths, to possibly prevent large sand grains from entering the mouth while feeding and moving through sand.

The authors posit that unlike most tadpoles that swim early on, the Micrixalidae tadpoles hang onto underwater rocks with their powerful suckering mouths. When their arms grow strong enough they dig underground, where they live most of their lives, only to emerge in forest streams to reproduce.

Other unusual features of the tadpoles were ribs and whitish globular sacs storing calcium carbonate, known as “lime sacs,” noted Madhava Meegaskumbura from the University of Peradeniya.

“Only four families of frogs are reported to have ribs, but we show that at least some of Micrixalidae also have ribs, even as tadpoles; this adaptation may provide for greater muscle attachment, helping them wriggle through sand,” he said.

Greens set manifesto for parties

The Hindu, March 31, 2016
Thiruvananthapuram,

The Kerala Paristhithi Aikyavedi, an umbrella organisation of environmental groups in the State, has released a green development agenda for political parties to incorporate into their manifesto for the forthcoming elections to the Assembly.

Releasing the document here on Wednesday, Aikyavedi leaders V.S. Vijayan, R. Sridhar and S. Usha said the green agenda was aimed at ensuring the sustainable development of the State.

Allegation

They alleged that the UDF government had abetted blatant violations of environmental laws, imperilling livelihoods, and affecting food security and water availability.

Proposing a white paper on the state of the environment within three months of the formation of a new government, the agenda calls for an environmental audit to expose the violation of environmental laws by local bodies and government departments.

The document calls for a firm political commitment on restoration of paddy fields and wetlands reclaimed after 2008.

It proposes an environment audit for the last 30 years in the Western Ghats, midlands, and coastal areas.

Declaration of paddy lands as paddy reserves that can never be converted for other purposes, a legislation for protection of hills in non-forest areas, eco-restoration of the catchments of hydro power and irrigation projects, phasing out the production and sale of chemical pesticides, preparation of a wetland register for each panchayat and strong action against CRZ violations are some of the major recommendations.

The agenda proposes a strong building code limiting the maximum size of a house and making constructions environment friendly.

The Aikyavedi urged the government to revisit the Gadgil and Kasturirangan committee reports and accept recommendations for ecological security.

Pointing out that Kerala cannot afford to have new hydel projects involving loss of forests, the manifesto recommends installation of solar power units in government offices, industrial units and commercial establishments within five years.

The Aikyavedi leaders said the green agenda would help Kerala become the first carbon neutral State in India and the first to adopt sustainable development practices.

They said all political parties in the State would be approached with the request to include the green agenda in their respective election manifesto.

UNESCO updates protected biosphere reserves list

The Hindu, March 21, 2016
Lima,
The United Nation’s cultural body UNESCO has added 20 new sites to its network of protected biosphere nature reserves, including two in Canada and two in Portugal.
The status was conferred during a two-day meeting in Lima that ended on Saturday, which brought the total number of biosphere reserves to 669 across 120 countries.
In Canada, the Tsa Tue area in the country’s Northwest Territories that includes the last pristine arctic lake was added to the list, as was the Beaver Hills region of Alberta, which has a landscape formed by a retreating glacier.
Britain’s Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea in a biologically diverse marine environment, and Mexico’s Isla Cozumel were also selected for the network.
And in Portugal, the entire Island of Sao Jorge, the fourth largest in the Azores Archipelago, was designated a reserve in addition to the Tajo River region between Portugal and Spain.
The list of new UNESCO biosphere reserves also includes sites in Algeria, Ghana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines and Tanzania.
Of the hundreds of locations on the list, 16 are sites that stretch across more than one country. Spain is the country with the largest number of registered reserves.
During the meeting, nine extensions to existing biosphere reserves were also approved.
Meanwhile, the Australia ended its push to log World Heritage-listed forests on the island State of Tasmania on Sunday, after UNESCO issued a report calling for the area to remain protected from logging.

Eco-friendly boating at Mattupetty

Giji K. Raman, IDUKKI,
The Hindu, March 21, 2016

Boating in Mattupetty lake in Munnar will soon be eco-friendly, with wildlife being least disturbed.

As part of its efforts to develop responsible tourism in Munnar, the Hydel Tourism Centre has purchased a solar-powered boat, which will be a marked change from kerosene-powered boats and petrol speed boats.

Kerosene-run boats

Kerosene-powered boats have been the reason behind the pollution of the water body, even leading to occasional fish-kills, not to mention the ecological and environmental threats they pose. In addition, wild animals seldom used to drink water from the lake during summer seasons, thanks to contamination.

Moreover, the noise produced by petrol speed boats used to disturb wild animals.

The twin objectives of the solar-powered boat are ending noise pollution and reducing cost of operation.

Meanwhile, an official of the Hydel Tourism Centre said solar-powered boats are aimed at ensuring eco-friendly travel for tourists in the lake at the lowest cost possible.

The boat that can be operated for up to four hours once the solar panel is charged, can accommodate 10 passengers.

Wild animals

Once, green boats are fully operational, wild animals will come to the dam area for water and more sightings of them will be possible, officials hope.

Eco-restoration drive remains a non-starter

K.A. Shaji, Palakkad
The Hindu, March 21, 2016

The much-hyped Palakkad Gap eco-system restoration efforts initiated by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board last year with the active involvement of 17 local bodies and the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department continues to remain a non-starter in spite of the claims that it would help address escalating heat in the region in the coming years.

Though a number of tree saplings were planted with much fanfare in five grama panchayats marking the commencement of the initiative, all of them failed to withstand the challenges of hostile climate in the absence of follow-up initiatives. No steps were taken for safe protection and watering of the saplings even during the hot summer months.

The 45-km Palakkad gap in the Western Ghats is facing serious environmental destruction largely owing to indiscriminate sand and granite mining. Massive deforestation is killing the Bharathapuzha and its tributaries, which flow through the area, and its highly fragile eco-systems. The Biodiversity Board initiative was aimed at rejuvenating the river eco-system by restoring the green cover.

It was also perceived as a step to counter the challenges posed by global warming, destruction of wildlife habitats and adverse changes in land use pattern. There were even assurances of ensuring participation of various bio-diversity youth clubs in the district to make the project a participatory one. Efforts were also on to link the NREGA programme with the initiative. The pilot project was planned in Vadakarapathi, Pattanchery, Kozhinjampara, Puthussery and Peruvembu panchayats. The gala inaugural event was held in Peruvembu in February last.

When contacted, Biodiversity Board officials blamed the local bodies for completely neglecting the project. Panchayat bodies clarify that the board had done no follow-up action.

“It was a long-awaited initiative addressing the importance of restoring greenery of the gap, which is under destruction. The board has the responsibility to coordinate with panchayats and find resources for implementing it. Only by increasing the green cover of the gap, we can withstand escalating heat in Palakkad during summer. The heat is already unbearable,’’ said Kalloor Balan, environmnal activist.

“It needs not much additional funds. Better coordination with local bodies and channelising resources like NREGA would help implement it easily. Schools and colleges in the region can also contribute,” said Shyam Kumar, environmentalist.

On alert, to check poaching during summer

G. Anand, Thiruvananthapuram
The Hindu, March 15, 2016

The Forest Department has stepped up surveillance in Idukki and Wayanad districts in the wake of intelligence forecasts that hunting of tigers and leopards for their pelts and body parts could escalate in summer.

A wildlife enforcer said that there was lot of tiger movement in Tholpatti, Muthanga, Kurichiyadu, and Batheri ranges this season. Many of the predators were aged and often forayed into human habitations for easy prey, mostly tethered cattle. Certain settler farmers sometimes collaborated with poachers to remove the threat of predators from their neighbourhoods.

The predators were particularly vulnerable while frequenting dwindling wateringholes. Moreover, forest fires, both natural and manmade, funnelled wildlife through certain paths and poachers found it easy to ensnare them using mechanical traps.

Wildlife Warden (Wayanad) P. Dhanesh Kumar said 24 camp sheds had been activated inside the 332-sq km reserve to keep a guard on poachers, detect traps and prevent wildfires.

On March 13, 2015, enforcers had encountered such a trap at the Akamala station limits in Machad forest range. They found a spotted deer (Sambar) caught in the crude trap. It had been bludgeoned to death after being trapped.

Traps

In 2014, enforcers had found a ‘cable trap,’ one fashioned out of clutch cables and second-hand vehicle parts, in a private estate bordering the forest at Tholpatti.

Investigators said use of such traps to ensnare wild animals, chiefly tigers, could be widespread and the detections, so far, were just the tip of the ice-berg. Officials said that unblemished tiger and leopard pelts fetched a higher price and poachers preferred to hunt the big cats using traps rather than fire-arms.

Forensic examinations of tiger skin and parts seized in the past showed that the hunters had cured the pelts using a combination of salt and sometimes, alum. The pelts would be stretched and left to dry under the sun for weeks. The meat and bones would be salted and preserved for sale.

On February 2, 2015, enforcers had trapped five persons in the Palode range into selling them a tiger skin. The number of tiger skin seizures in the State has dwindled over the years. Investigators said one reason was that much of the illegal trade had shifted to Coorg and certain Tibetan settlements in Karnataka.

Project to conserve vultures in Wayanad

E.M. Manoj, KALPETTA
The Hindu, March 14, 2016

The Forest and Wildlife Department has launched a comprehensive project to conserve the existing vulture population in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, a major habitat of different species of vultures in South India.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has earmarked Rs.50 lakh for the project and it has sanctioned Rs.30 lakh this fiscal, Promod G. Krishnan, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), told The Hindu .

Awareness programmes planned

“We are planning awareness programmes, continuous monitoring of the birds, year-round protection to the nests, and will also ensure availability of food for the scavenger bird,” he said

“We have already identified the habitats of two species, including the white-rumped and red-headed vultures, in three forest ranges,” P. Dhaneshkumar, warden of the sanctuary said.

The sanctuary has procured 51 infrared cameras for watching the movements of the birds, he said.

“As many as 25 tribal watchers have been selected for monitoring the birds and they will be provided special training,” he said.

Special programmes

Awareness programmes will be organised for villagers and students on the significance of conserving the scavenger bird.

Special awareness programmes will be organised for veterinarians and medical shopkeepers on the misuse of drug diclofenac, responsible for the dramatic fall in vulture population in the country.

The department has started preparing pamphlets, posters and documentaries for the purpose. “We are also planning to leave the carcasses of wild animals for the birds instead of cremating or burning them, with the support of villagers and vulture watchers,” Mr. Dhaneshkumar added.

Villagers oppose move to permit quarrying

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor PATHANAMTHITTA
The Hindu, March 13, 2016

The People’s Action Council has taken strong exception to a move by the grama panchayat to permit resumption of granite quarrying on the environmentally fragile Chembanmudy hill in Naranamoozhy panchayat in Ranni taluk.

Action council convener Shaji Pathalil told The Hindu that the panchayat had decided to seek legal opinion on the request submitted by a quarry owner to resume granite quarrying at Chembanmudy. Mr. Shaji the panchayat’s move to consider the request to resume granite quarrying at Chembanmudy, in violation of various laws and rules pertaining to it as well as Western Ghats protection, was an anti-environment and anti-people act.

Chembanmudimala, stands 3,825 ft. above mean sea level. The unabated illegal operation of two giant granite quarries and crusher units in this environmentally fragile hilly tracts for about a decade was brought to a halt three years ago following strong public protest against it.

The hazardous silica dust flying from the quarry also posed a major health hazard in the locality. There was a rise in incidence of cancer as well as skin and and lung ailments in the Chembaoly-Vakamukku areas .

The villagers had organised themselves and resorted to direct action to protect themselves from the ill-effects of the illegal granite quarries and crusher units following the alleged denial of justice to them by the people’s representatives as well as the official machinery three years ago.

Mr. Shaji said an expert team attached to the Geological Survey of India had categorically stated in 2013 that no granite quarrying should be permitted at Chembanmudy without attending to the future threats and corrective measures.

During his visit to the affected area in 2013, Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel chairman Madhav Gadgil too had strongly opposed quarrying at Chembanmudy

‘Eco nod for 943 projects in 21 months’

The Hindu, March 12, 2016
Mumbai:

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday claimed that in the 21 months of the NDA government at the Centre, his Ministry has given environmental clearances to 943 projects, unlocking investments of up to about Rs 6.72 lakh crore.

Mr. Javadekar said the NDA government focussed on three key principles — make new sustainable development policies, making the process of clearance simpler and more transparent, and decentralising power to the States.

“During the last 10 years (of the UPA government), environment clearances took an average of 600 days. But the new strategy has helped my Ministry cut down the time for various clearances to an average of 190 days. We intend to further improve this to 100 days in the next one year,” Mr. Javadekar said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

He said during the UPA regime, the time-consuming process of environment clearances for big investment projects led to delays, stunting growth, increased unemployment, a large number of incomplete projects, and a sharp increase in non performing assets of banks.

“The Environment Ministry had earned the nickname of Roadblock or Speedbreaker Ministry. Our sustainable development policies will increase investment inflow, ensure completion of projects on time, boost employment and development without compromising with environment. We don’t just believe in Ease of Doing Business, but Ease of Doing Responsible Business,” said the Minister, who, earlier in the day also delivered the keynote address at the 11th National Convention on Sustainable Development Goals held in Mumbai.

Mr. Javadekar told journalists that the Modi government was committed to sustainable development. He said climate change was a reality with one degree of temperature rise caused by 150 years of uncontrolled carbon emissions by the developed world.

Nod for paddy field reclamation kicks up a row

The Hindu, March 6, 2016
Thiruvananthapuram:

Clearances accorded by the Revenue Department for reclaiming 420 acres of Methran Kayal backwater paddy fields at Kumarakom village in Kottayam taluk and 47 acres of paddy field at Kadamakkudy grama panchayat in Ernakulam district for private ventures have triggered a row.

The order for reclaiming 420 acres of paddy field for an eco tourism project was issued on March 1 and for the 47 acres was issued on March 2. The first order says that the company, Rakindo Kumarakom Resort Private Limited had purchased 378 acres paddy fields in the name of 34 subsidiary companies under its ambit in 2007-08 and there was no cultivation since 2007.

The company had submitted the Kumarakom Tourist Resort Village project to the government in 2009 and it was cleared too. Since there were some ecological problems, certain changes were made in the project to make it more eco-friendly by adding farm tourism and allied projects.

The order says that the new project was found to be more eco-friendly and paddy cultivation was not possible in the current context.

The new project was expected to bring in investment to the tune of Rs.2,200 crore and help to register the presence of Kerala’s tourism sector in the international circuit.

Hence, it has directed the District Collector to consider the project.

Second order

The second order for the setting up a super-speciality hospital which was projected to bring in investment worth Rs.1,000 crore and create 7,000 job opportunities on completion.

Though the government had claimed that both projects would not go against the provisions of the paddy field and wetland conservation Acts, the alleged haste shown by the government for pushing the proposals just before the declaration of the election notification had come in for criticism. For, this is feared to have serious ecological ramifications and also hamper the steps claimed to have been initiated by the government for conserving wetlands and paddy fields.

Illegal razing of hills rampant in Pathanamthitta

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor, PATHANAMTHITTA,
The Hindu, March 3, 2016

With the government machinery sliding into preparations for the forthcoming Assembly polls, unauthorised demolition of environmentally sensitive hills has become rampant in many parts of the district.

Functioning of the Police Department too has been reportedly slackened in the backdrop of the pre-election shifting of officials from their home districts, leaving ample room for law-breakers to unleash illegal hill demolition and paddy land conversion in the district.

All Kerala River Protection Council State vice-president V.N. Gopinath Pillai alleged that illegal land conversion was under way even at places where hill demolition had been stopped by courts earlier.

Mr. Pillai said the land lobby had started demolishing the nearly 250-metre tall Chuttipparakkunnu at Vallana, near here. The move to demolish the hill, projecting it as a site for an educational institution, was stalled by villagers two years ago.

The State Pollution Control Board had inspected the hill and submitted a report to the Revenue Divisional Officer at Adoor, highlighting the dangers posed by the hill demolition. The hill demolition was later stopped as college management clarified that it had no proposal to set up a college at Vallana.

Though the land lobby was trying to demolish the hill under the pretext providing earth for the ongoing rail doubling work on the Thiruvalla-Chengannur stretch, Railways had contracted a person to shift the earth removed from the Aranmula Puncha, Mr Pillai said.

Mylapra, Elanthoor

Elanthoor and Mylapra were two other places near the district headquarters where illegal hill demolition was taking at a fast pace, said Mr. Pillai.

Mr. Pillai said illegal hill demolition was rampant at Varyapuram and Kulackattukavu areas too.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) activists have forcibly stopped illegal demolition of hills at certain parts of Elanthoor the other day.

Mr. Pillai called upon the District Collector to take effective steps to check land conversions taking place in different parts of the district without any further delay.

Bees are vanishing: U.N. report

The Hindu, February 27, 2016

Many species of wild bees, butterflies and other insects that pollinate plants are shrinking toward extinction, and the world needs to do something about it before our food supply suffers, a new United Nations scientific mega-report warns.

The 20,000 or so species of pollinators are key to growing fruits, vegetables and cash crops. Yet two out of five species of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are on the path toward extinction, said the first-of-its-kind report. Pollinators with backbones, such as hummingbirds and bats, are only slightly better off, with 1 in 6 species facing extinction.

“We are in a period of decline and there are going to be increasing consequences,” said report lead author Simon Potts, director of the Centre for Agri-Environmental Research at the University of Reading in England.

The trouble is the report can’t point to a single villain. Among the culprits — the way farming has changed so there’s not enough diversity and wild flowers for pollinators to use as food; pesticide use, habitat loss to cities; disease, parasites and pathogens; and global warming.

The report is the result of more than two years of work by scientists across the globe who got together under several different U.N. agencies to come up with an assessment of Earth’s biodiversity, starting with the pollinators.

“The variety and multiplicity of threats to pollinators and pollination generate risks to people and livelihoods,” the report stated.

“These risks are largely driven by changes in land cover and agricultural management systems, including pesticide use.”

Dennis vanEngelsdorp, a University of Maryland bee expert, said, “Everything falls apart if you take pollinators out of the game. If we want to say we can feed the world in 2050, pollinators are going to be part of that.”

Wildfire destroys Marayur sandalwood

IDUKKI,
The Hindu, February 27, 2016

Wildfire destroyed forest wealth across 50 hectares of land in the Pothadimala area in the Marayur sandalwood division on Friday.

The fire, which broke out at 11 a.m. in the lower area of Pothadimala, consumed the dried-out vegetation and spread to a large area.

A 50-member team, including forest officials, watchers, and the local people, reached the spot and brought the fire under control by 5 p.m. Estimates of the loss caused to the forest, including sandalwood trees, would be available by Saturday, said a senior official of the sandalwood division.

With the mercury soaring, wildfires in the grasslands soon spread to the sandalwood grown areas. In the 64 sq km area of sandalwood forest, 14 sq km has natural sandalwood. However, sandalwood is grown in other areas too.

Though fire lines have been cleared and more watchers have been appointed during the summer season to prevent wildfires, the large area of forest makes it difficult to control the fire. There are also increased chances of wildfires as the forest is in the rain shadow area. Forest watchers are camping in the area.

Industry throws a spanner in the KSBB works

T. NANDAKUMAR
The Hindu, February 27, 2016

Faced with stiff resistance from industry, the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has turned to the government for help in implementing the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism for commercial utilisation of biological resources.

According to officials, certain sectors of industry had complained to the government that the proposed levy would add to their financial burden and weigh down their prospects of becoming competitive in the global market. The government, in response, has asked the KSBB to provide the details of the ABS mechanism and the guidelines issued by the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA).

The board had earlier written to the Environment Department, seeking a government order to implement the ABS mechanism under the provisions of the Biodiversity Act, 2002 and the Kerala Biodiversity Rules, 2008.

The KSBB has identified 2,694 industrial units in the State that will be liable to pay a levy for access to bioresources and associated traditional knowledge.

The companies will be required to plough back a portion of their sales revenue to the State Biodiversity Fund, in return for commercial exploitation of plants, animals, microorganisms, their parts, and genetic material (excluding human genetic material). The fund would be utilised for conservation activities.

The proposed levy opens up a new revenue stream for the government, but there are fears that it would be bogged down by litigation.

The bio resource-based industries identified by the KSBB include Ayurveda drug companies, tea and coffee manufacturers, agro-based units, food and fruit processing centres, leather, cashew, textiles, paper, rubber, coir, spices, wood and bamboo based industries and exporters of these products. Traditional healers and farmers have been exempted.

KSBB officials said some sectors of industry were using their lobbying power and connections with Union Ministries to delay the proposed levy, while others had begun efforts to sell high value products as normally traded commodities eligible for exemption.

K.P. Laladhas, member secretary, KSBB, admitted that the organised resistance from certain sectors was thwarting efforts to implement the ABS mechanism through a consensus approach. “As an advisory body with no enforcement mechanism, our only option is to seek the help of the government.”

E.M. MANOJ KALPETTA,
The Hindu, February 20, 2016
The Forest and Wildlife Department has launched an operation to attach radio collar on rogue elephants in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) to keep them off human settlements.

“We are planning to attach radio collar telemeter on rouge elephants after tranquillising them, for which the department had identified two jumbos, a tusker and a makhana (male elephant without tusks), in Sulthan Bathery and Tholpetty ranges,” P. Dhaneshkumar, warden in charge of WWS, toldThe Hindu .

“Radio collaring will help constant monitoring of the marauding elephants and local people could be warned about their entry into farms and habitats. The radio signals sent by the device would also be used for studying the movement pattern and behaviour of elephants in general,” he said.

The World Wildlife Fund has supplied three radio collars, each costing around Rs.3 lakh, free of cost to the department after importing them from South Africa.

A team of wildlife experts, including C.S. Jayakumar, Forest Veterinary Surgeon; Arun Zachariah, Assistant Professor, Centre for Wildlife Studies, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, and Jijimon, Assistant Forest Veterinary Officer, had tracked a wild tusker on Friday in the Ponkuzhy section of the WWS to fix the radio collar telemeter on it. But their attempt failed as the jumbo hid among bushes along with its herd. Though the team had applied two tranquilliser darts on it, it was deflected, Mr. Dhaneshkumar said adding that the operation would continue on Saturday.

Earlier, in 2011, a wild elephant had been successfully fixed with a radio collar telemeter in the sanctuary.

Wetland turns a ‘weedland’

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor
PATHANAMTHITTA,
The Hindu, February 2, 2016

Varaalchal, a vast wetland in the flood plain area of the Pampa river at Koipram, near Aranmula, heavily weeded and silted, could do with a few immediate steps for rejuvenation. World Wetlands Day, celebrated on February 2 every year, should serve as a reminder for authorities in this regard.

The once water-rich Varaalchal’s plight has left its immediate surroundings with not less than 2,000 households water-scarce during summer. The 2.5-km-long, 150-metre-wide natural stream, lying between Koipram and Poovathoor, is known for its rich biodiversity, especially the inland fish species of Channa (Varaal as is locally known). Now, this water source is covered with thickets of grass and cabomba weeds.

Pampa Parirakshana Samiti (PPS) general secretary N.K. Sukumaran Nair attributes this sad state of affairs to the drastic depletion of groundwater and lowering of the Pampa riverbed owing to indiscriminate river sand-mining over the past four decades. The lowering of the Pampa riverbed has blocked the water flow between the Varaalchal and the Pampa, except during floods in the monsoon season, says Mr. Nair. K.N. Karunakaran, retired teacher and a local resident, says that fisherfolk who used to eke out a living by inland fishing in Varaalchal are unable to even enter the heavily weeded wetland.

Mr. Nair called upon the State Biodiversity Board as well as the local self-government institutions to initiate urgent measures for the rejuvenation of Varaalchal. He said efforts must focus on the restoration of the natural ability of wetland to detoxify wastes, control floods, restore soil fertility, expunge weeds, purge pollutants, destroy disease-causing organisms, and support a diversity of aquatic and bird lives.

The guidelines of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands have clearly spelt out norms for conservation and wise management of wetlands. “The Ramsar guidelines state that people are an important part of the ecology and their livelihood is an important contributor to the economy of the region.”

Mr. Nair said cultivation in not less than 500 acres of paddy fields in the close vicinity of the Varaalchal had become a thing of the past.

Alarming destruction of tiger, elephant habitats: expert

E.M. ManojKALPETTA,
The Hindu, February 2, 2016

The significance of conserving Asiatic elephants and tigers were stressed at an international veterinary workshop on Asian elephants and tigers that began at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) headquarters at Pookode in the district on Monday.

The four-day workshop, being organised by the Centre for Wildlife Studies under KVASU in association with the Department of Forests and Wildlife, aims at veterinary interventions such as general elephant and tiger health, diagnosis, medical and surgical management, measures to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and so on.

Delivering a speech on global population status and conservation programme of Asian elephants and tigers, Meenakshi Nagendran, scientist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, said the key to conservation in India involved setting aside personal differences, engaging stakeholders, equipping the Forest Department staff, protecting the animals which strayed and, most importantly, collaboration between veterinarians and biologists.

Dr. Meenakshi said that over the past 100 years, destruction of tiger and elephant habitat had been 90 per cent and 95 per cent respectively. However, India appeared to have a stronghold in terms of tigers.

Ajay Desai, an elephant ecologist, said elephants had a strongly bonded social group and a defined home range and seasonal range. Speaking on ‘human wildlife conflict — a perspective on Asian elephants and tigers,’ he said: “They have a social dominance, hierarchies which control and regulate space. Therefore an elephant family without a home range is doomed.”

Need of research

Research should be conducted in each conflict situation and mitigation measures should be taken accordingly, Mr. Desai said, adding that bad management by forest personnel in one area could affect the other areas.

The role of a veterinarian involved preventing zoonotic diseases, ensuring wildlife health, post-mortem investigation, tranquillisation and capture of animals when necessary and supporting mitigation strategies and research programmes, he added

Rare bird sighted at Achenkovil

KOLLAM,
The Hindu, February 1, 2016

A black-and-orange flycatcher (Ficedula nigrorufa), which is a high altitude endemic resident of the central and southern evergreen forest areas of the Western Ghats, was chanced upon by wildlife photographer Mahesh Ambelil in the low altitude Achenkovil forest area which has an altitude of only 400 m ASL.

The bird is usually seen in forest areas at heights above 1,500 m ASL.

Mr. Ambelil claims that it is the first recorded sighting of this high altitude dweller at such a low altitude forest. The bird is largely sighted along the Nilgiris and Palani Hills, Biligirirangans (Bellaji and Honnametti) and Kanan Devan Hills.

They feed on insects by fly-catching low over the ground and also pick insects from the ground. Territories are maintained by a pair throughout the year.

The male is distinctly black headed with black wings. The female has the black replaced by dark brown and has a light eye-ring. Mr. Mahesh resides at Pattathanam in Kollam city.

Positive tidings for waterbirds

The Hindu, January 30, 2016

There has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of waterbirds in Thiruvananthapuram district, the Asian Waterfowl Census, a comprehensive water bird count, says.

The census, carried out on Tuesday, also records spotting of 49 species of birds from Punchakkari, Vellayani, Aruvikkara Reservoir, Akkulam-Veli Lake Complex, Poovar and selected wetlands, including the paddy fields under Krishi Bhavan near Kesavadasapuram.

Of these waterbirds, 15 species are migratory including Black headed gulls, Kentish plovers, Green sandpipers, Wood sandpipers, Sanderlings and Whiskered terns.

The exercise was carried out in six major locations in the capital district by WWF-India with the support of the Social Forestry Wing of Forests and Wildlife Department. Though the number of waterbirds is higher than the last immediate years, a decadal comparison does not show a positive trend. Habitat loss and climate change are the major culprits for this fall.

The heavy rains in the past few months that has considerably elevated the water level is another reason for the fewer number of waterbirds in Punchakkari and Vellayani wetlands, the two major birding hotspots in the outskirts of city .

According to the report, the increased presence of aquatic weeds in Aruvikkara reservoir is one of the major reasons for habitat degradation.

Wetlands attract more winged visitors

Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, January 26, 2016

The five major wetlands in Kerala, including the Vellayani, Sasthamkotta, Vembanad, Ashtamudi and Pookode lakes, and their surrounding areas are attracting more migratory birds this year, a survey conducted by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has revealed.

Check list

The board is preparing a check list of birds, as part of the biodiversity assessment of the wetlands. Birdwatching teams are keeping a close tab on the lakes to take stock of the winged visitors. The teams comprising the project groups tasked with the preparation of Panchayat Biodiversity Registers (PBR) visit the allocated area at least two times every week for the survey.

The survey team for the Sasthamkotta wetlands recently recorded the first sighting of the white-necked stork.

Also known as the woolly necked stork or Karuvarakkuru in Malayalam, the species had earlier been sighted at Vembanad, Kole wetlands and along the banks of the Bharathapuzha.

The white neck of the bird contrasts with the black head and body and the large bill is grey with a reddish tip. The legs and feet are red and the eyes deep red.

Measuring up to 95 cm in length, it prefers waterlogged areas and cultivated areas and mostly feeds on fish, frogs, snakes, crabs and molluscs. They rarely wade.

According to the IUCN status, the bird is classified as a vulnerable species.

“We have noticed that the number of migratory birds visiting the wetlands of Kerala is higher this year,” says KSBB member secretary K.P. Laladhas. “It requires a detailed study to understand if this is linked to climate change”.

Favourite spots

The birdwatching team deployed at the Sasthamkotta lake has identified 65 species while that for Vellayani has recorded 131 species.

“The high altitude lake at Pookode in Wayanad seems to have a strong biodiversity, perhaps because of its proximity to the forest,” Dr. Laladhas said.

The biodiversity assessment of wetlands assumes significance in the light of the threats faced by the fragile ecosystems, including the three Ramsar sites — the Sasthamcotta and Ashtamudi lakes and the Vembanad- Kole lands.

In the absence of a conservation and sustainable management plan, the lakes in Kerala are increasingly prone to encroachment, pollution, and debilitation caused by invasive alien species.

Sand-mining monitoring to go hi-tech

T. Nandakumar,
The Hindu, January 26, 2016

Monitoring of river sand-mining and transport is set to go hi-tech. The guidelines on sustainable sand mining notified by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFs) earlier this month prescribe a modern, technology-assisted system to keep an eagle eye on mining and transport of river sand.

The guidelines mandate the preparation of a District Survey Report to identify the mining areas.

The procedure for monitoring of river sand-mining prescribes a transport permit with security features like MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) paper, unique barcode and Quick Response (QR) code, fugitive ink background, invisible ink mark, void pantograph and watermark to avoid counterfeiting.

It also includes an Android-based application to scan the permit using a smartphone. Mining lease areas larger than five hectares will be required to have closed circuit TV (CCTV) cameras and computers with internet connection.

The site would be provided with access control and arrangements for weighing the mined sand.

Transport permit

According to the guidelines, the State Mining Department would print the transport permit and issue it to the lease holder through the District Collector. The permit would be uploaded on the server.

When the barcode on the permit is scanned and an invoice generated, the validity time is recorded on the server. The system allows the details of transporting mineral to be captured on the server.

Enforcement officials can check the consignments of mined sand by scanning the transport permit using website, Android application or SMS. The vehicle can be tracked from source to destination using check points, RFID tags and GPS facility.

The proposed system will facilitate the generation of periodic reports on daily lifting and vehicle log. The District Collector can also block the scanning facility of a site found to be indulging in any irregularity.

An enforcement official intercepting a vehicle illegally transporting sand will be required to report the action for registration on the server.

MoEFs has directed States to comply with the monitoring system within three months.

Greens’ view

Experts and environmentalists feel that the proposed system would help authorities to crack down on illegal sand mining.

“It signals the transition to a sophisticated monitoring system for sustainable mining,” says D. Padmalal, scientist, National Centre for Earth Science Studies.

Central norms, State law in a mismatch

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram,
TheHindu,January 25, 2016

A notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change prescribing regulations on river sand mining is feared to result in a mismatch with the State legislation on the issue, sparking concern over its implications on the protection of the ravaged rivers in Kerala.

The notification issued on January 15 mandates the creation of a District Environment Impact Assessment Authority empowered to issue environmental clearance for sand mining below five hectares.

It prescribes guidelines for the preparation of a district survey report to identify river sand resources, protection of the riverine ecology and steps to check illegal mining.

In Kerala, district-level expert committees chaired by the respective District Collectors have been constituted under the Kerala Protection of River Banks and Regulation of Removal of Sand Act, 2001 to identify the locations for river sand mining. In June last year, the State government had imposed a total ban on sand mining from six rivers and imposed restrictions on mining from five rivers for a three-year period. The decision was based on the sand audit report of 11 rivers prepared in accordance with the state Act.

Experts’ fear

Experts and environmental activists fear that the uncertainty over which would prevail, the State Act or the Central notification, would create a situation for illegal mining to flourish in the State.

“Unless the issue is clarified, confusion will prevail, setting the stage for unscientific exploitation of river sand resources,” says Latha Anantha, Director, River Research Centre. “It is neither necessary nor desirable to have a district expert committee set up under the State Act and a District EIA Authority mandated by the Central notification, both chaired by the District Collector. It will only lead to confusion and conflict,” says N.K. Sukumaran Nair, general secretary, Pampa Parirakshana Samithi.

Experts fear that the exemptions cited in the notification would be manipulated to bypass the requirement of environment clearance for river sand mining.

Extraction of ordinary sand, removal of sand deposits from farms and silt from dams and reservoirs are among the activities that have been exempted.

District panels to keep tabs on mining

T. Nandakumar
The Hindu, January 23, 2016

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has issued a notification delegating the regulatory powers for mining of minor minerals to district-level authorities, evoking mixed reactions from environmentalists and members of regulatory bodies in Kerala.

The final notification issued on January 15 mandates the setting up of a District Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) and District Expert Appraisal Committee (DEAC). Though the State government has no role in the selection of members to the district agencies, the Ministry has modified the draft notification to provide the State EIA Authority (SEIAA) with supervisory jurisdiction over the DEIAA, with the power to review its decisions.

The district-level agencies will appraise and grant environment clearance for individual mining lease up to five hectares and mining clusters up to 25 hectares. Mining leases up to 25 hectares will not require public hearing for grant of environment clearance. The draft notification had prescribed public hearing for all leases above five hectares.

The Ministry has also made minor modifications to the constitution of the DEIAA and DEAC. The District Collector will chair the four-member DEIAA. The Sub Divisional Magistrate will be the member secretary.

The senior-most Divisional Forest Officer and an expert nominated by the Chief Conservator of Forest will be the other two members. The 11-member DEAC will be chaired by the Executive Engineer, Irrigation Department, with the Assistant Director or Deputy Director, Mining and Geology, as member secretary.

Welcoming the delegation of regulatory powers, sources said it would lessen the burden of the SEIAA by about 25 per cent. They, however, maintained that the DEIAA and DEAC would not be competent to appraise or grant environment clearance.

Greens’ view

Environmentalists feel that district-level agencies would be more amenable and sensitive to public demands for regulation of mining activities.

Pointing out that the majority of stone quarries in Kerala fell within the B2 category (of area less than or equal to five hectares) SEIAA, Kerala, had proposed that the extent of mining area to be delegated to the district-level authority be limited to three hectares.

The Hindu, January 22, 2016
During the course of their annual Asian waterfowl census of Kollam and Thiruvananathapurm districts last week, members of the Thiruvananthapuram-based Warblers and Waders, a nature and bird lovers’ forum, chanced upon a flock of slender-billed gulls ( Larus genei ) along the Vellanathuruthu beach in Kollam. These migratory birds are not common winter visitors to Kerala.
C. Susanth, who led the census team, said there were 21 one slender-billed gulls among a mixed flock of about 500 black-headed gulls and brown-headed gulls. The team visited the Vellanathuruthu beach twice for confirming the sighting of this rather uncommon bird in these areas.
Though these birds have an extremely large global range, this is the first recorded sighting of these gulls along south of Kayamkulam. The earlier sighting of these gulls in Kerala were recorded from the Kadalundi estuary and Purathur estuary (Malappuram), Chavakad beach (Thirssur), Ittikulam beach (Kannur), and Purakkad and Thottapally (Alappuzha), he said. In Asia, these birds are usually residents of east Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Mr. Susanth said the adult bird has a white head throughout the year, deep red bill but looking a bit pale in winter and pale iris. The preferred habitats of this migrant gull comprise coastal waters, lagoons, estuaries, large tidal creeks and salt pans. The other migrant shore birds recorded by the team at Vellanathuruthu were green shank, red shank, sanderling, Kentish plover, lesser sand plover, Pallas’s gull, Heuglin’s gull, greater crested tern, lesser crested tern, little tern, gull-billed tern, common sandpiper and whimbrel.
Other members of the team were G. Santhosh Kumar, S.S. Ratheesh and R. Prasath. It was the 26th annual Asian Waterfowl Census of the two districts carried out by the members of the Warblers and Waders.

Survey reveals butterfly diversity of Wayanad

T. Nandakumar Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, January 12, 2016

A three-day butterfly survey organised by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and the Forest and Wildlife Department in North Wayanad has revealed 178 species, including at least four rare species. The survey which covered portions of the North Wayanad forest division, Wayanad wildlife sanctuary and South Wayanad forest division was conducted to document the butterfly diversity of the region and understand their role as indicators of the state of the environment.

As many as 43 species of skippers, 44 species of blues, 15 species of swallow tails, 19 white and yellows and 57 species of brush-footed butterflies were recorded. The Sahyadri Banded Tail was first recorded from the region. Rare species like the Danaid egg fly, Crimson Rose and Malabar Banded Swallow Tail were sighted from Mattilayam, Periya and Kuruva island. As many as 180 people, including 40 students, from various biodiversity clubs in Wayanad district, 19 experts, six officials from KSBB and nine Forest staff participated in the survey. The expert team included Muhammed Jaffer Palot, senior scientist, Zoological Survey of India; Balakrishnan Valappil; Chandrasekharan Koyilandi; and Pavithran Vadakara.

The participants were split into 15 groups to cover different transect each day. Each group consisted of one or more experts, forest watchers and staff from KSBB. A datasheet and detailed species checklist were prepared for each transect. The photographs of all the butterflies have been filed.

K.P. Laladhas, member secretary, KSBB, said the survey was part of a study to assess the migration pattern of butterflies and use it as a tool to formulate conservation strategies.

Climate change issues

“Apart from understanding the biological behaviour of the species, the study will also help to assess how climate change influences mass migration. The findings of the survey will be linked to other data like climate parameters to draw inferences”, he said.

“In many countries, butterflies are recognised as environmental indicators for their sensitive response to habitat and climate changes,” says Oommen V. Oommen, chairman, KSBB. He said periodic surveys would be conducted to keep the data up to date.

Soft coral poses threat to marine biodiversity

T. Nandakumar, Thiruvananthapuram,
The Hindu, January 5, 2016

Colonies of snowflake coral ( Carijoa riisei ), an invasive species recently documented off the coast of Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari, could pose a serious threat to the marine ecology of the region, according to scientists.

Scuba divers working for Friends of Marine Life (FML), a local NGO, have recorded the presence of several colonies of the fast-growing alien species amid barnacle clusters on the rocky reef off the coast of Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram and Enayam, Kanyakumari.

The documentation was done as part of a research project harnessing the traditional knowledge of the fishermen community to assess the marine biodiversity of the region.

The snowflake coral is known to inhabit reefs and underwater structures such as shipwrecks and piers, attaching itself to metal, concrete and even plastic. It is considered an invasive species because of its capacity to dominate space and crowd out other marine organisms.

Researcher Robert Panipilla, who coordinated the project, said the colonies of the soft coral were documented at 10 m depth off Kovalam and 18 m depth off Enayam. “Last month, we deployed scuba divers after receiving information from local fishermen that the species had colonised parts of the reef, ” he said.

A native of the tropical Western Atlantic and the Caribbean, C.riisei was first reported as an invasive species from Hawaii in 1972. Since then, it has spread to Australia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. In India, it has been reported from the Gulf of Mannar, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Kutch and Goa.

With its capacity to thickly settle and occupy a variety of surfaces, C.riisei can destabilise the marine ecosystem, says K. Padmakumar, Pro Vice Chancellor, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS). He fears it will crowd out other species like corals, sponges, algae, ascidians that contribute to the rich marine biodiversity of the region. Because of the lack of baseline data, C.riisei is not recognised as an invasive species in India.

Prof. Padmakumar, who had published the presence of C.riisei in the Gulf of Mannar in 2011, said the presence of the soft coral colonies off the southern coast could also lead to livelihood issues. “The mussel beds off the Vizhinjam coast are vulnerable to C.riisei invasion since the coral preys on the mussel larvae,” he says.

Mr. Robert said the FML would share the findings of the survey with the scientific community to evolve a management strategy for the invasive species.

Mangrove forest on chopping block again

Ignatius Pereira, KOLLAM,
The Hindu, January 4, 2016

The Ayiramthengu mangrove forests at Alapad panchayat in Kollam district, restored by the government eight years ago, is now being destroyed by a government agency for another scheme.

Environment activist V.K. Madhusoodanan said that in the past couple of weeks at least 10 acres of the restored mangroves had been razed using earthmovers to lay a road and construct a sluice across a canal to link the estuarine island of Ayiramthengu with three such islands in the adjacent Alappuzha district for a tourism project. The work is being carried out by the Agency for Development of Aquaculture Kerala (ADAK).

Pearl spot hatchery

The government had handed over the entire island to ADAK for raising a pearl spot (karimeen) hatchery. An ADAK authority who did not wish to be quoted said that the road was being laid under a plan approved by the government.

The irony is that the 50-acre Ayiramthengu mangrove had served as the biggest pearl spot natural hatchery before its destruction, Mr. Madhusoodanan said.

After the tsunami in December 2004, the importance of mangrove forests as an effective natural barrier to sea surges gained recognition. But the paradox at Ayiramthengu is that it is the restored mangroves of an area devastated by the tsunami which is being wantonly destroyed.

Illicit breweries

Soon after the ban on arrack in 1996, the mangrove forest became a safe haven for illicit breweries.

The trees were felled and used as firewood for breweries. In 1998 the government announced a restoration programme. A Fisheries Department team under the K.M. Lethi, the then Deputy Director (Fisheries), camped at Ayiramthengu and planted nearly 10,000 red mangrove saplings.

Red mangroves were selected because Ayiramthengu used to be the State’s biggest natural habitat of this mangrove species.

By 2008, Ayiramthengu regained its past glory in 25 acres. But two years later destruction restarted when the State Fisheries Resource Management Society began dredging the area to create ponds for a fish hatchery under an aquaculture programme. In 2013, the island was handed over to ADAK.