Concerned with the rapid depletion of biodiversity, especially that of marine life and avians, the state wildlife board has put forward a resolution to conserve the biodiversity of wetlands that lie unprotected. It is now under the consideration of the state government. Wildlife board officials point out that the four Ramsar sites ­ Ashtamudi Lake, Sasthamkotta Lake, Vembanad Lake and Kole Wetlands ­ are outside the protected area network and conservation efforts need to focus on more such natural habitats. The resolution said that Bird Life International has designated the Kole Wetlands, Vembanad Lake and Kattampally wetlands as important bird areas in the state. There is, however, no institutional mechanism for their conservation. “This anomaly needs to be addressed immediately,“ the resolution pointed out. Kerala's wetlands are home to 80% of the waterbirds ­ mostly migratory ­ in the state. “A socio-economic audit of the Kole wetlands has shown that they are capable of gener ating 24.49 lakh man days of job every year, which in turn generates income to the tune of Rs 32.79 crore,“ the resolution pointed out. Environmentalists said Kerala's sandy beaches fall under the category of wetlands, and India being signatory to the Ramsar Convention of 1971, the state is supposed to protect these wetlands too. “But we give very little attention to sandy beaches, probably because we are ignorant of its significance as an important ecosystem. One of the issues with sandy beaches is the largescale afforestation of the state's coastal regions in the name of protection from natural disasters like tsunami and cyclone,“ said P O Nameer, head of wildlife studies, college of forestry, University of Kerala. “But we tend to overlook the fact that open coasts serve as a habitat for many species, especially waterbirds like waders, gulls, terns, and marine turtles,“ he said. Experts opine that it is high time that the state authorities realized the significance of sandy beaches, which are also important from the ecological point of view.