TWO SIDES OF A COIN: The Good and the Bad of India’s Marine Life

Being one of the world’s Mega Diverse nation, blessed with an unremitting coastline and surrounded by three water bodies, India is the hub of opportunities with regard to marine life. Marine life, which refers to life of the water bodies, encompassing all sorts of plants, animals, planktons, bacteria and other organisms takes a centric place when we discuss about the environmental status of Indian conditions. From salty waters to brackish waters, from beach shores to gulfs, you name it, India has it. Indian shores house a wealth of marine life, it is an entirely different world we are unaware of, a treasure to be cherished and kept preciously.

The Indian marine ecosystem has been under threat for long due to climate change, pollution and destructive fishing practices. It has faced extinction of various species and a massive threat is posed at the remaining marine life, such as the marine mammal, Dugong. While researching about the marine life of India, I came across all sorts of positives and negatives. Some of these news pieces took me by surprise. What follows is a summary of these news pieces about the marine life of India.

THE GOOD:

•    Artificial coral reef through 3-D print

The trigger of climate change is really harming the marine life adversely. Coral reefs, which provide shelter to many marine organisms and reduce coastal erosion, have been under the threat of climate change. Due to pollution, increased fishing, and rising ocean temperatures, it has been observed that it causes bleaching and death of corals. 

A 17-year-old, Siddharth Pillai from Mumbai, with an aim to tackle this issue, has become the first Indian to create a modular artificial reef in Puducherry. The 20m 3D-printed reef will be dispersed along the Puducherry coast, and according to a few experts, the marine life will host on the reef within a month. [1] [2]

•    ISRO

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has made some astonishing strives in the past years for India in the field of space. Their work in the field has been impeccable and now they are looking at diving into the depths of the ocean. The agency is developing a design for a crew module that can take humans up to 6,000 meters under the sea by the year 2022. 

The aim of this exploration is to develop more insight on the marine life. The exploration of the deepest parts of the oceans still largely remains a mystery for the humankind. Till now, only a few countries have the technology for a manned deep-sea exploration such as China, Russia, the US, Japan and France and submersibles that go about 6000 meters deep into the oceans have never had humans on board. ISRO, however, has a plan developed to achieve the tasks. The design is yet to be approved; hence it is only a matter of time that we will know what is going to happen with ISRO’s initiative.

THE BAD:

•    Overfishing

Needless to say, the bad overpowers the good in the case of marine life. In present scenario, marine life is suffering more than it is benefitting. Overfishing is an alarming hazard. Fishes constitute the majority of marine life, and thus, overfishing and human activities in the oceans imperil the marine species extensively. With 10% of the global marine biodiversity, India contributes 6% of the global fish production, which accounts for about 1% of the GDP and 5% of agricultural GDP. [4] India’s fishing exports are significantly contributing to foreign exchange earnings. The Fishery Survey of India was established in 1946 to augment fish production in the country. However, it has definitely not succeeded to protect and preserve the fish diversity. A shortcoming of this is that it jeopardizes the livelihood of fishermen, critical marine species and biodiversity.

•    Plastic Pollution

It is believed that every square mile of the ocean holds about 46,000 pieces of plastic. Out of the plastic pollution, India contributes to 60% of the plastic waste dumped in the oceans every year. What is more condemnable is that animals and aquatic organisms are worst affected by waste plastic dumped in the water bodies. These plastics are mistaken as food by the poor marine animals and ingested. The animals end up eating parts of plastic or the entire plastic bag as a whole, along with the food, which eventually is extremely toxic for them. Their intestines are unable to digest the harmful ethylene, eventually, leading to illness and death. This on a larger scale leads to extinction of some extremely rare marine species.[5]

The unfathomable destruction of environment hasn’t left marine life untouched. There are goods and bads associated with everything in this world, but what is more upsetting is when the intensity of bad outweighs that of good. 

SOURCES:

[1] https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/17-year-old-mumbai-boy-creates-india-s-first-3d-printed-artificial-reef-to-save-aquatic-species-1570437-2019-07-17

[2]  https://yourstory.com/socialstory/2019/07/17-year-old-created-indias-first-3d-printed-reef

[3]https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/isro-plans-deep-sea-exploration-with-manned-submersible-by-2022/articleshow/71887408.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

[4] https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/main-article/marine-species-in-danger-729977.html

[5] https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2019/11/ban-plastic/