Grande Island reefs urgently need periodic monitoring: WWF-India

Panaji: The first study of the coral reefs at Grande Island carried out by WWF-India has revealed that the reefs have largely been kept out of conservation efforts.
The researchers have said that periodic monitoring over the long term is urgently needed to ensure that the reefs continue to be healthy.
WWF-India undertook the survey of the reefs around Grande Island, near Mormugao port, to assess the ecological impact of tourism on biodiversity.
During the survey, some rare species of corals, fish and other invertebrates were reported, some of which had not been previously recorded at the site.
“Overall, we found that while these reefs have largely been left out of conservation efforts, they are very much alive and abuzz with unique assemblages of biodiversity. While tourism in the region is a source of livelihood to many, it is also an eye-opener to marine biodiversity and its conservation. There is little doubt, therefore, that the sustainability of the activities happening here is of utmost importance, and an immediate priority,” the researchers said in the study, ‘Corals and crabs – Marine life in the reefs of Goa’.
To ensure that the reef continues to stay healthy, it is important to put in place a long-term periodic monitoring system of pre-selected ecological indicators. And local stakeholders need to collectively agree on indicators and get involved in monitoring of the reefs, states the study by the team which included Abhishek Jamalabad, Ajay Venkataraman, Coralie D’Lima, Gaurav Patil, Tanmay Wagh, Vardhan Patankar and Zoya Tyabji.
The Grande archipelago has patchy corals and is a prominent tourist attraction primarily because of the reefs and two sandy beaches. “3,000 dive tourists are estimated to visit the island annually, contributing significantly to the local economy. Regular dive trips are conducted from October to May in suitable weather conditions,” noted the study.
India’s coral reef biodiversity is mainly clustered around the archipelagos of Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep Islands, the Gulf of Kutch and Mannar.
“In the light of changing global climate and repeated persistent impacts on corals, the role of smaller, patchy reefs such as the reef in Grande Island have become significantly more important,” the WWF-India report states.
It was around the late 1980s and early 1990s that a few local fishers at Dona Paula jetty started taking tourists out on boats to watch dolphins and visit the Grande Island archipelago.
“Roughly two-and-a-half decades later, the industry has spread to cover the length of the Goan coastline. It is estimated that during the peak tourist season, up to 700 boats operate for marine nature-based tourism activities throughout the day. While the reefs are protected by the Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972), tourist activities are more than likely to impact them,” the report states.
However, the researchers also noted that they did not see high levels of garbage at Grande Island.
“This is thought to be, at least in part, due to the recent reef clean-up activities conducted by dive schools and volunteers. The requirement of permits to visit Grande Island has also helped control the number of tourists on the island consequently controlling the waste generated here.”