Alarmed by the rapidly shrinking mangrove forests in the State, the Forest Department has recommended that a foundation be established for undertaking conservation efforts.
The department has submitted a proposal to the State government for establishing the Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Foundation, senior forest officials told a special session organised by the Forest Department and the Kannur Kandal Project to mark International Mangrove Day on Friday.
Responding to the proposal, Forest Minister K. Raju, chief guest at the event, said the government would take steps to establish the foundation. As per the proposal, the foundation would have a cell that focusses exclusively on mangrove conservation. The cell would ensure the participation of biologists and wildlife experts in the conservation efforts, Surendra Kumar, Chief Wildlife Warden, Kerala, said.
Legal cover
According to the Minister, the mangrove cover in the State has shrunk from 1,700 sq km a century ago to 21.12 sq km. Of this, only 4.4 sq km has legal protection. There is an urgent need to provide legal cover to the remaining area, he said.
Under Mission Mangrove, the government has declared 237.92 hectares of mangrove forests in Kannur as reserve forest. Around 2.82 hectares in Kozhikode, 54.7 hectares in Kasaragod, 3.39 hectares in Thrissur and 20.78 hectares in Malappuram have been declared proposed reserve, the Minister said.
Natural barrier
Mangroves offer a natural barrier against sea erosion and, in fact, are a much better and cost-effective option than sea walls in protecting the State’s coastline. They are also natural ‘hatcheries,’ acting as breeding grounds for fish, crabs and water fowl, he added.
P.K. Kesavan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, underlined the need to evolve a model for mangrove conservation which is distinct from that of traditional forest protection concepts. A practical management system has to be evolved since much of the mangrove land in Kerala is in private hands, he said. The Kannur Kandal Project is a mangrove conservation initiative of the Wildlife Trust of India and Apollo Tyres. N. Vasudevan, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and head, Mangrove Cell, Maharashtra; Rinika Grover, head, CSR and Sustainability, Apollo Tyres; and B.C. Choudhury, Executive Trustee, Wildlife Trust of India; were present.