Rare marine species smuggled from Chennai port: ZSI

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Smuggling of rare marine species like sea cucumber, sea horse and piped fish is on the rise and smugglers are using Chennai port to smuggle it to South East Asia, according to a top official of Zoological Survey of India.

Zoological Survey of India director K Venkatraman said sea cucumbers, which are also known as bioturbators similar to earthworms in soil, are being smuggled along with sea horse and piped fish through the ports of Chennai and Vizag to Singapore.

Interestingly, Zoological Survey of India is conducting a sample trawling study for Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Mannar Reserve Trust, which is funded by United Nations Development Programme.

S Balaji, chief conservator of forests and Trust director told Express that the study was conducted after growing calls from the fishing community to lift ban on sea cucumber which was brought under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act. 

Zoological Survey of India has already submitted their initial findings and a second report is expected to be submitted by next month, he said.

Venkatraman said department of revenue intelligence and wildlife crime trust in Ramanathpuram are working on containing the smuggling of sea cucumbers.

He said the sea cucumbers are clandestinely collected by fishermen who later mix the consignment with chillies and then smuggle it out.
He also highlighted that 12 banned varities of sharks, including the hammer headed shark fins are also smuggled abroad.

Venkatraman said that there is a steady increase in marine protected areas in India starting from one in 1970 to about 40 now. “Majority of key marine animals are brought under Schedule I through amendments in Wildlife Protection Act 1971 but not their habitats,” he said while stressing on the need to have a thorough understanding of marine protected areas.