the goan I network
PANAJI
Could the Mormugao Port Trust’s dredging plans spell doom for the lucrative dolphin trips that sustain the livelihood of several hundred tourism operators?
The Goa unit of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) which has done significant studies on the dolphin populations in the waters of Goa has expressed the fear that the increased activity could force the dolphins out Mormugao and Aguada bay which they have made their home.
“These species are already under threat and significant stress from growing development and unregulated tourism. To pollute their habitat, with the proposed expansion, remove their prey species of fish, and cause disturbance to their sonar with ship movement and noise, and degrade the quality of the air they breathe as well as the reduction of oxygen levels in the water, will significantly impact the populations using this area, and can have a catastrophic impact on the ecosystem which may be impossible to reverse,” Puja Mitra a conservation researcher based in Goa has said.
“The occurrence of other endangered species like Dugongs etc. was not found during the survey.”
Local tourism-based livelihoods that offer dolphin trips, are focused on the Humpback dolphins who are found along the entire coast of Goa, and have been documented both in the MPT bay and in the 10 kms impact radius.
Off the coast of Goa, there is a well documented presence of marine mammals protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of India, such as species of Humpback dolphins (Sousa Plumbea), Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) and occasional sightings of Orcas (Orcinus Orca) in the MPT harbor and surrounding sites.
However, the Environment Impact Assessment Report prepared at the behest of MPT for its plans to dredge the channel to allow the entry for capesize vessels makes no mention of any protected species. “We completely reject the section on Mammals as well as this statement as quoted from the EIA. We find it extraordinary that despite that the authors of the EIA have not even mentioned this species in their report.
“The occurrence of other endangered species like Dugongs etc. was not found during the survey,” the EIA study noted.
Species of dolphins who are air breathing mammals and apex predators who maintain ecosystem balance are classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Schedule I species such as Whale Shark, Humpback whale and Green Turtle have also been recorded from Grande Island, hence making this a critical biodiverse region, and any damage which will be caused due to dredging, coal pollution is unacceptable.
“As these species are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of India, 1972, any pollution and disturbance of their habitat is a violation of this Act,” Mitra noted.
Besides this, the fate of the coral reefs off the Grande and Pequeno Islands, which are a significant tourist and diving attraction, is as yet unknown.
While the EIA report recognizes their presence noting that the “nearest habitat of corals from the proposed site is Grand island, located about 7 km from Mormugao Port and navigation channel,” they conclude that the “occurrence of the species in Grand Island as a new locational record and could not assess the impact
Dolphin species already under threat & stress from development and unregulated tourism
Proposed expansion will pollute habitat, remove prey species of fish
Ship movement, noise will cause disturbance to sonar
Air quality will degrade with reduction of oxygen levels in water
Will significantly impact population using this area
Can have catastrophic impact on ecosystem which may be impossible to reverse
Species protected under Wildlife Protection Act
Any pollution & disturbance of habitat is violation of this Act
