Corals on the decline at Saint Martin¿s

Saint Martin¿s Island

Lack of proper conservation is causing depletion of corals hampering growth of aquatic lives like conchs and seaweeds at the island.

Corals and aquatic lives of various colours and species immensely enriched the island and made it a conspicuous possession of the country attracting a good number of tourists every year since long.

But, rampant collection of corals for lack of proper care hampers growth and reproduction aquatic lives and forces the vast stock of marine resources at the island to decline.

Following this, corals, conch and oyster-shells from neighbouring Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and The Philippines to flood the local shops and tarnish the island's glory, sources said.

The corals and conchs arrayed in the shops on the sea beach at Saint Martin's and Patenga in Chittagong bears a testimony to the magnitude of depletion of them, said the sources.

In this regard one Salamat, a coral and conch shell seller at Patenga, said they buy corals from crews of the ships at Chittagong port.

Besides, aquatic lives like crabs, rattle snake and turtles of different species, which were once abundant in and around the coral island, also can not be found that much now a day, said the researchers.

A survey conducted under National Conservation Strategy Project 1 of the Ministry of Forest and Environment in 1997-98 showed presence of 58 species of corals, including 21 dead species, 101 species of oysters and snails in the sea at Saint Martin.

But, by now the species of corals have come down to some 22 while those of oysters and snails to some 56, the researchers added.

Though endangered by pollution, the number of species of seaweeds remains unchanged at 140, including some 10 medicinal species.

A primary survey of "Geographical Information System" attributed the depletion of different species of aquatic lives at the island to the unplanned growth of tourism and consequent ecological imbalance.

Sea cruising and disposal of garbage by the tourists destroy ecological balance through massive pollution and bio-diversity in the sea at Saint Martin's Island, the researchers said.

Besides, high-rise buildings are being developed on the seashore ignoring its environmental impacts and the visitors and the local people pollute the seawater through human excreta when crystal clear water is needed for reproduction and growth of different species of coral and seaweeds, they said.

They said no remarkable step or scientific measure was taken in the last five years for conservation of bio-diversity and reproduction and flourishing of aquatic lives.

Three projects were taken for the development of bio-diversity at Saint Martin, Sonadia and Teknaf on different occasions only to confine them to holding seminars and symposiums, sources said.

"Under such a project taken in 1993 for Saint Martin's is yet to be inaugurated," said a researcher preferring anonymity.

"Besides, in many cases projects have failed as people responsible for the work were appointed through nepotism and on political consideration," he said.

The initiative for developing a marine park and eco-tourism at Sirdia and Uttarpara on the southwest of Saint Martin Island is yet to see progress.

"The corals and seaweeds of Saint Martin's Island are being endangered seriously," said Prof Mohammad Zafor of Institute of Marine Science of Chittagong University.

"Formation of even a single coral (from the skeletons of tiny animals known as polyps) takes some time when one out of every 10 tourists is seen carrying corals in hands at Saint Martin Island," he said.

He said Tsunami at Indonesia and Sri Lanka also affected the aquatic lives at Saint Martin's as well as in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong.

"Production of aquatic lives, particularly seaweeds, marked some decline in the last two years after the Tsunami," he added.

"Ecological balance and environment has to be developed and maintained for proper growth or reproduction of corals and seaweeds that contribute immensely to export and tourism sectors," said Prof Zafor.