BEYOND USUAL SUSPECTS A case for neglected species in wildlife research and conservation For most of us wildlife is represented by large mammals like elephant, rhino, lion and tiger, may be birds like hornbill, raptors, peafowl and waterfowl and awe inspiring reptiles like marine turtles, crocodiles, python and king cobra. …
AFTER two years, voices of more than a thousand fisher families along the Mundra coast in Gujarat have been heard. A grievance mechanism of the World Bank has accepted their complaint that a soon-to-be commissioned coal power plant funded by the bank will affect the environment and their livelihood. The …
IN DHINKIA village in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, residents gathered around fragile bamboo gates, armed with sticks, brooms and lathis. The gates and improvised weapons were meant to keep government officials out. The residents expected a visit from them any day after the Union environment ministry gave environmental clearance to South …
The POSCO steel plant and port planned in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district have run into fresh trouble. An expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests deferred its decision on clearing the port project, saying the South Korean steel giant did not furnish sufficient details. The company …
A WIDELY used yardstick for judging the health of marine ecosystem may be flawed. The indicator, mean trophic level, uses catch data to assess changes in the balance of species in the food web of an ecosystem. An international team of scientists recently said the indicator overlooks factors like discarded …
ON NOVEMBER 18, there was a dust-up between farmers and fishers at Murthikuppam in Puducherry’s Bahour Commune over who would get to talk to the environment ministry’s representative visiting the area. The representative from the ministry’s Bengaluru regional office, U Sridharan, was there to seek views on the partially constructed …
Sand dredgers will soon be back in business along the Bankot creek bordering coastal Raigad and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra. They had been silent for over a month after the Bombay High Court banned sand mining in the state on September 24, after people who mine sand manually filed a …
Erika, who is a photographer, and myself, headed out in a boat from Fourchon, US state Louisi ana’s southernmost port. We had four co-travellers: Jonathan Henderson from non-profit Gulf Restoration Network, his friend Randy, who is a cameraman, and Craig, our fishing captain and guide. It was August 16, the …
ALL fish are not equal in commercial value. Species like tuna and perch carry high value and are targeted by fishers while smaller fish are discarded. This discard, or bycatch, is gaining importance. A study from Tamil Nadu coast shows the bycatch market has grown so much in the past …
FISHERS’ folklores are full of them but the creatures of the deep sea are still a mystery. An inventory of marine species, to be released in London on October 4, would answer the age-old question— what lives in the oceans? The Census of Marine Life, a network of researchers from …
HOW do small fish survive predators lurking in the deep ocean? Nature has its way of cautioning them. Species of fish, like mackerel, clownfish and damselfish, have a heightened sense of smell to detect threats and find shelter. Not for long though. Scientists from James Cook University in Australia said …
an oil spill near the Gopalpur port in Orissa on April 12 has triggered concern over the safety of Olive Ridley turtles. The mishap occurred 17 km from the Rushikulya river mouth, one of the main nesting grounds of the endangered turtles. The oil slick may have killed marine organisms …
In 2009, the European Commission estimated that 88% of monitored marine fish stocks were overfished, on the basis of data that go back 20 to 40 years and depending on the species investigated. However, commercial sea fishing goes back centuries, calling into question the validity of management conclusions drawn from …
An assessment of various threats to the olive ridley turtles at Rushikulya rookery of Orissa in India was investigated during 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. Data on adult mortality, predation of eggs and juveniles, beach erosion and Casuarina plantation along the beach were collected. Turtle mortality was low at Rushikulya compared …
Every day hundreds of unlicensed fishing vessels enter African waters and trawl for shrimp, sardines, tuna, and mackerel. According to a study commissioned by the UK
The paper attempts to study the Indigenous Technical Knowledge of the fisher folk of fishing villages, Maruvakkad and Mallipuram belonging to Chellanam and Elankunnapuzha Panchayats, respectively of Palluruthy and Vypeen Block, Ernakulam. The Traditional knowledge and proverbs pertaining to the fishing community of these villages were collected and the scientific …
On 30 May 2006, a bulk carrier, MV Ocean Seraya ran aground along the Karwar coast spilling 650 tonnes of oil. Due to the rough SW monsoon, the spill spread to some beaches in south Goa. The aim of this communication is to study the immediate impact of oil spill …
Climate change is dulling the hearing of fish and making it more difficult for them to find a home, Australian researchers say. More carbon in the atmosphere means less calcium in the water and consequently poorer hearing in fish, who use hearing as much as sight to locate a habitat. …
The untimely summer rain, which has so far caused an estimated Rs.110-crore loss in damaged crops and claimed 12 lives, is likely to turn out to be a blessing in disguise for fish workers. The rain that brought havoc on rice, pepper, coffee and areca crops seems to be benevolent …
