Fate of revised plan for mangroves hangs in balance as panel of experts yet to hold first meeting

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The fate of revised National Strategic Action Plan (NSAP) for Mangroves for the Future hangs in balance as committee of experts appointed by the ministry of environment and forest (MOEF) are yet to hold their first meeting.

Meenakshi Datta Ghosh, country representative of International Union for Conservation of Nature mentioned on the sidelines of National Consultation on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Conservation in India here that Mangroves for the Future (MFF) National Strategic Action Plan came into existence around 2007 and it has recently come in due for revision before the Conference of Parties 11 Biodiversity Meet in Hyderabad to be held from October.

“But till now the committee of experts set up by the Ministry of environment and forests have yet to conduct their first meeting to finalise this revision,” Ghosh said.

The review has to focus on categorization of different flora and fauna along the 8,000 km coastline. It will provide linkages between this categorization and dependents of local population on the produces, services and land from the coastal area, she said.
Ghosh also said the proposal on Red Listing of species in accordance with IUCN international guidelines has been developed and will be forwarded to the Central Zoological Authority and Botanical society of India (BSI). It will be implemented with partnership with Zoological Authority of India, BSI and IUCN.