Use of a biodiversity-rich island for target practice by Navy kicks up row

The pounding of an island, off the Karnataka coast, with bombs and shells as part of the target practicing by Indian Navy personnel has raised the hackles of environmentalists as well as Karnataka Government.

The Netrani island, situated 19 kms off the Murdeshwar coast in the Arabian Sea, hosts not only rare colonies of birds in its forest patch, but also corals and various species of coral fish that feed on them in its waters.

With the Navy personnel using the island for target practice, the environmentalists and the Karnataka State Biodiversity Board have expressed concern over the threat posed to bio-diversity in the bustling eco-sensitive island.

With a view to protecting the island, Karnataka State Biodiversity Board is planning to send a documentary film on the island to the Federal Government with a request to declare the island as protected area in view of its rich bio-diversity and eco-sensitive nature.

According to Executive Officer of the Board Gangadhara V Maddikery, a documentary on Netrani island has already been shot and it is in the editing phase. A CD of the documentary will be sent to the Federal Government soon. “We will also write to the Navy to help us in protecting the island”, he said.

An expert team comprising marine biologists, ornithologists, botanists, environmentalists and scuba divers carried out a two-day expedition in the forest patch on the island and the waters at the Netrani island last week.

The island’s waters features five varieties of corals and 47 species of coral fish that feed on them. Citing the provisions of Biodiversity Act 2002, marine biologist V N Nayak, who is from the Department of Marine Biology, Karnataka University, said any place, where corals and coral dependent fish are found, should be protected.

“It is an eco-sensitive island, which is bustling with rare flora and fauna. Nearly nine varieties of shark fish, including the endangered whale shark are found around the island. On land, we have discovered plants, which are not recorded anywhere in the coastal districts of Karnataka. The island needs to be protected to save its rich bio diversity”, Nayak said.

Also, the experts have recorded the presence of rare edible-nest swiftlets, which are found only on Andaman and Nicobar islands, on the Netrani island. “More than 400 white-billed sea eagles were recorded during the expedition along with a few Egyptian vultures. We also noticed mongoose, jungle cats and pellets of black-naped hare during the expedition” said biodiversity expert Harish Bhat.