Seminar on transboundary coastal and marine protected areas with special priorities for spawning grounds - Pakistan

Concept note on “A Seminar on transboundary coastal and marine protected areas with special reference to spawning grounds” proposed to be held at Karachi, Pakistan in May, 2009

The fluid and dynamic nature of marine ecosystems, and the high diversity of habitats and species that may occur within an area, including migratory species, often requires multiple objectives and diverse management schemes. Multiple–use MPA (Marine Protected Areas) are generally zoned, each type zone having different objectives, with allowing some greater use and removal of resources than the others. A critical habitat may be zoned for strict protection (Nursery ground/spawning ground for any commercially important fish or shellfish), it may be surrounded by an area managed for broader objective e.g. recreation (National park), and this turn might be surrounded by an area managed for a range of uses (fishing area). Any Marine National Park may also be categorized as core zones with strict protection (no take) zone and general use zone (fishing area). No take zones have become an important tool for marine biodiversity protection and fisheries management.  They may comprise a whole MPA or be a core zone within multiple-use MPA. Within them any removal of marine species and modification, extraction or collection of marine resources (e.g. through fishing, harvesting, dredging, mining or drilling) are prohibited. Other forms of human disturbance may also be restricted. Recent research demonstrating the role of no-take areas in increasing fishery stocks and their importance as key elements in the ecosystem approach to marine biodiversity   protection has stimulated efforts to create such areas.  There are proposals to establish such protected areas in Pakistan. Astola Island, Jiwani-Gawater Bay, Ormara and Miani Hor on West coast of Pakistan and Cape Montz-Churna Island and Sandspit-Hawks Bay on East coast of Pakistan, near Karachi are some important proposed sites for Marine Protected areas. The importance of some of these sites has already been recognized internationally as wintering grounds for migratory birds and the sites of Miani Hor, Ormara, Astola Island and Jiwani- Gawatar Bay have been declared as Ramsar Sites. The species like Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus), White pelican (Pelecanus oncrotalus) and Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) have been recorded from these sides, and these species come under Appendix 1 of CMS (Convention on Migratory Species) that lists migratory species that are endangered. Twenty-seven species of birds were also recorded from these localities which come under Appendix II of CMS (Appendix II describes migratory birds which have unfavorable status among Range States but not declared endangered as yet)   Astola Island, Jiwani-Gawater Bay, Ormara and Sandspit-Hawks Bay are important breeding grounds of marine turtles. Two important species of marine turtles, green turtle (Chelona mydas) and Olive Ridley turtle( Lepidochelys olivacea) breed in these areas.  Out of 43 species of marine mammals that inhabit the Indian Ocean, 12 species of marine mammals have been recorded from Pakistan waters and all of them are migratory and some of them often listed as Data Deficient because there is insufficient information to determine the risk of extinction. Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus ) frequently use Pakistan waters, Oman and Iran in its western range states and there are several records of its stranding on western part of Pakistan coast. The Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae ) is one of the most common species on eastern coast of Pakistan while Humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), Bottlenose dolphin (Neophocaena phocaenoides ) and Finless porpoise (Tursiops truncates) are common throughout coastal waters of Pakistan.  About 50 species of sharks are reported from South Asian region and their biology is more comparable to large mammals than to the bony fishes. Whale sharks tend to come to inshore especially during periods of heavy rain fall, probably to feed on the plankton that blooms with increased nutrients and coinciding upwelling. Sharks fins have particularly high value and sharks are increasingly being caught for these alone. Dries shark fins are used for soup in many Asian countries. All five maritime nations of South Asia are involved in shark fin fisheries. Pakistan and Sri Lanka feature in top 20 shark catching countries. Large sharks travel long distances. The collection of lobsters in Pakistan began with the demand for the tourists and export markets.  Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.) are traditionally not a favoured food item among local communities in South Asia including Pakistan.  West coast of Pakistan has excellent breeding/spawning grounds for spiny lobsters.  A considerable quantity of spiny lobsters is collected from the waters of Ormara, Astola Island, Pasni, Gawadar and Jiwani (West coast of Pakistan) and Cape Montz, Churna Island (East coast of Pakistan).

The shrimp fishery in Pakistan bears a strong relation to the extent and status of the mangroves. Mangroves are especially important as nursery grounds for fish and shrimp are widely distributed along the coast of Pakistan. Major portion of mangroves belongs to Sindh Coast.  The Sindh Coast (Eastern coast) is studded with dense growth of mangroves extending from Karachi to beyond Indo-Pakistan border.  The distribution of mangroves along the Balochistan coast is restricted to three geographical locations namely Miani Hor, Kalmat Hor and Gwatar Bay. Government of Pakistan is earning an average of Rs.8.8 billion from the export of shrimps and fish annually. The destruction of habitats will seriously hamper fisheries production which in turn could jeopardize food security for local communities and reduce the economical contribution of the fisheries sector to the national economy.

The coral diversity in Pakistan is very low as compare to other South Asian maritime nations. India is near the centre of coral diversity in the world, with at least 250+ different species of corals.  They often occur in association with other ecosystems, particularly seagrass beds and mangrove forests which provide nursery and feeding areas of high primary productivity which provide nutrients for the coral reef organisms.  In Pakistan attempts are being made to explore coral reef ecosystems and recently 20 species of corals have been recorded from Astola Island.  Similar attempts are being undertaken in mangrove areas at Gawater Bay (Jiwani).

A seminar on the issues: migratory species or species that straddle between the boundaries of the adjacent countries, spawning grounds and general biodiversity of the coastal areas is proposed to be held in Karachi-Pakistan in May 2009. The proposed seminar will increase the importance of marine protected areas in protecting biodiversity and fisheries management. It will also encourage managers, policy makers and researchers to establish no take zones (core areas) within the MPA for increasing fish stoks.

Key Focus Areas:

• IBird migration
• Fish migration (whale Sharks, Other Sharks, Tuna fishes, etc.)
• Marine turtles
• Ecosystems (Mangroves, Sea-grasses, Corals )
• Spawning grounds (Fish, Shrimp, Lobsters, Crabs etc)
• Marine Mammals (Cetaceans)
• Transboundary ecosystem (Indus Delta, Gawater Bay etc.)
•  General Biodiversity
• Marine Protected Areas

Schedule for inviting papers:

Process start date:                      By March 10, 2009

Submission of abstracts:              By March 25, 2009

Acceptance of abstract:                 By April 05, 2009

Paper submission:                        By May 05, 2009

Seminar date                                Last week of May 2009 (pl. confirm date)