The College of Fisheries, Mangaluru, has urged the Union government to notify groups of submerged coral reefs off coastal Karnataka as ecologically sensitive and treat them on par with Lakshadweep Islands and eco-sensitive areas under the Wild Life Protection Act. Professor and Dean of the college A. Senthil Vel has in a release said that as per the Survey of India map these coral reefs are about 120 nautical miles (about 220 km) from Mangaluru. The Survey of India has named them as Bassas De Pedra, Cora Divh and Sesostris Bank. They may be the extension of Lakshadweep Islands towards the north from the Lakshadweep waters. Submerged reefs are at a height of around 40 m-50 m from the sea bed. Some of the catches that have not been recorded on the Karnataka coast are being observed along these reefs. The reefs are known to harbour some of the endangered species such as sharks, spotted skates and rays, lobsters, shells which are listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, including large bio diversity comprising sea weeds and sea fans. These have not been explored so far. “While there has been over-fishing and over-exploitation of the coastal waters, information has been received that certain fishing communities from neighbouring States are also exploiting some of the endangered and scheduled animals off the Karnataka coast,” he said and added that hence, there is a need to declare submerged coral reefs off coastal Karnataka as ecologically sensitive.
Illegal fishing
“The area has been neglected; hence, the fishing communities from other States have resorted to fishing using illegal methods and nets such as gill netting through monofilament material. As these fish are not known so much along the Karnataka coast, these fishermen are selling these fish at a low cost of Rs.100-Rs.130 a kg. Further, the shells which are pretty big in size and fall under Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act are being sold at Rs.50-Rs.100 a piece,” Prof. Vel said. He said that the gears/nets are dangerous and extremely destructive and could catch several of these beautiful animals. If the reefs are over-fished they become barren and the bio-diversity totally lost. Such submerged reefs also act as breeding and spawning areas for several commercially important fish and shell fish, including molluscs and star fish.
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