Mangroves are considered an important ecosystem as they are host to both marine and freshwater animals.
Hubballi: Like his ancestors, Rathnakar Tandel, a fisher from Karwar, stands at the mouth of River Kali during Noolu Hunnime (a full moon day in August) each year to offer coconut and a sacred thread to the sea. After the annual deep fishing ban is lifted that day, he prays to the sea gods for a bountiful catch, the safety of the fishing community and calm seas.
Of late, he feels as though his prayers are going unheard. “Even after the rainy season, the sea remains disturbed for several months,” he says.
He is also unhappy with the catch that traditional fishing communities get, even after the two-month annual ban on deep-fishing. The ban intends to facilitate fish breeding.
“There were limited large-scale deep fishers then. Two decades ago, every expedition in my Rampani boat (a traditional fishing boat with 40-50 fishers rowing) in the shallow waters would have fetched me at least Rs 4 to Rs 5 lakh. Today, despite heavy mechanised boats being deployed, every venture into the sea only fetches between Rs 1 and Rs 2 lakh,” says Tandel.
Pradip Panda, a Kolkata-based marine researcher, says anthropocentric activities are not just impacting marine life but entire ecologies, including mangrove, coral reef and intertidal habitats. “Industrial waste and untreated sewage being discharged into the sea through Hooghly river is adversely impacting the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangroves,” he laments.
Mangroves are considered an important ecosystem as they are host to both marine and freshwater animals.
“A deficit in the supply of fresh water to the sea is increasing salinity in the Sundarban mangroves, affecting the life cycle of several fish and crabs. Hilsa fish, a staple in the region, is disappearing from the plates of local communities. These fish are moving southwards,” he says.
Source : https://www.deccanherald.com//india/tides-of-loss-oceans-grow-empty-as-marine-life-fades-3269822
