Southern States - Karnataka   

Call to protect coastal eco-system

By M. Raghuram

MANGALORE DEC. 20. Experts have cautioned against irrational industrialisation of the coastal region because of its fragile ecosystem.

At a public hearing on "Coastal ecosystems" organised by the People's Commission on Environment and Development India under the joint auspices of the Dakshina Kannada Parisarasktha Okkoota, the SDM Law College, Mangalore, and the Dakshina Kannada District Committee for Science and Technology here today, Upendra Hosbet and Ramachandra Bhat of the okkoota, who presented papers on "Coastal ecosystem: resources and industrialisation", highlighted the need for restrained industrial activities in the region as wetlands there provided enormous economic benefits.

They said the benefits included fishery, agriculture and horticulture, water supply to urban and rural areas, wildlife habitats, recreation, and tourism. Marine products and estuaries generated good revenue, and fishermen sustained their livelihood by fishing in the sea, rivers, inland waters, and estuaries. Analysing the region on scientific terms and in relation to the density of population, they said the coastal ecosystem had its influence on the local communities. Hence, the local people were the main stakeholders in the management and conservation of the ecosystem. Of the 17 major mangroves, the one at Gangolli was considered important. It had been documented that 310 species of fish, 55 species of reptiles, and 225 species of birds were found in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. In the coastal waters and estuaries, 1.5 million tonnes of shells were collected annually to produce lime. Mr. Hosbet and Dr. Bhat said there were one-lakh fishermen engaged in fishing and another two lakh in fisheries-related activities in the two districts. They said the Nineties became a nightmare for the coastal ecosystem when the Government decided to industrialise the region. There was a proposal to clear 36 industries of which some had been categorised as mega projects such as petrochemicals, thermal power plants, steel and copper smelters, and ship-breaking yards that were known for their high pollution levels, they added. Presenting a paper on "Coastal ecosystem — water and land-use patterns", L.C. Soans, who is known for innovative methods of farming, stressed the need for better use of land and water in the region.

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