[Reader-list] “World Oceans Day” report is a warning

[T Peter]

KOLLAM, June 10, 2012 “World Oceans Day” report is a warning
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article3511783.ece
Ignatius Pereira

A Greenpeace report on World Oceans Days says
that too many mechanised fishing boats resulting in over fishing will
trigger an ecological crisis due to over-fishing.
A Greenpeace report released on the occasion of “World Oceans Day” on
Friday warns that India may suffer a three pronged threat due to
depleting fish stocks and neglect of marine conservation. The report
was formally released by Basudev Acharya, Chairman of the
Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture.

Fisheries industry contributes to about two per cent of India’s GDP in
addition to providing livelihood to about 15 million people. Depleting
fish stocks would not only result in massive job losses but would also
damage the ecology and the national GDP, the report says.

Ninety per of India’s fish resources are at or above maximum
sustainable levels of exploitation. The Greenpeace findings claim
convincingly contradicting the official stand that there is still
scope for fish landings to increase in India despite the dangerously
depleting fish stocks.

In addition to an average annual output value of Rs. 42, 178 crore,
marine fisheries form an important socio-economic component of the
coastal regions. The fisheries sector has also been one of the major
contributors to foreign exchange earning through export.

The report states that India’s fish exports were worth over US $2.8
billion in 2010-2011. Over 45 per cent of this export value came from
marine capture fisheries and official targets are to raise this to US
$ 6 billion by 2015.

The report is based on statistical data and first hand information of
the experience of fishermen. It also gives stress on the ecological
damage to marine biodiversity as a result of overfishing. “Capacity,
intensity and technology used in combination directly impacts
populations of specific species of fish and also negatively alter the
ecosystems.”

Too many fishing boats leading to over-fishing, an over reliance on
destructive fishing techniques and continued government subsidies for
the mechanised fisheries sector are the main causes of the current
over-exploitation. The report says the situation has been worsened by
rampant pollution, destruction of breeding grounds such as mangrove
forests and estuarine areas, hot water discharge from thermal power
plants, industrial effluents, sewage from major urban centres and
coastal over development.

In the wake of these findings, T. Peter, secretary of the National
Fishworkers Forum called for a “comprehensive policy that would
address the crisis by moving towards a sustainable approach to fishing
that involves fishermen in decision making”. Areeba Hamid, Greenpeace
campaigner said that current levels of mechanised fishing are
ecologically unsustainable.

Keywords: Greenpeace report, World Oceans Day, oceanic studies, marine
conservation