BHUBANESWAR: The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in association with The Fishing Cat Project will frame a Fishing Cat Action Plan in Chilika this year to improve measures taken for protection of the species and track the wetland’s status.Like tigers’ presence indicates the health of a jungle, presence of the fishing cats helps to know how a wetland’s health is doing, CDA officials said.
The action plan that will be socio-ecological in nature will also help in introducing small scale wetland tourism in the lagoon. Apart from the action plan, the CDA will also conduct the second fishing cat population estimation in the lagoon from March second week this year.Chilika Wildlife Division and The Fishing Cat Project will collaborate with the CDA for the estimation.
While the phase I of the population estimation was conducted in the north-eastern sector of Chilika establishing presence of 119 fishing cats in 230 sq km area of study, phase II exercise will be conducted in the islands along the coastal strip of Chilika lake, in between Bay of Bengal and the lagoon.
During the estimation, camera traps will be installed at different locations for nearly 30 days.“This is the first time in the world that this globally endangered species’ population is being estimated completely outside the purview of protected areas,” IUCN Cat Specialist Group member Jim Sanderson said. The CDA wants to regularise fishing cat monitoring in Chilika just like it is monitoring birds and dolphins, said CDA Chief Executive Officer Susanta Nanda.
The Fishing Cat Project and CDA had carried out a year-long patrolling and monitoring initiative on the fishing cat by engaging local residents, said Tiasa Adhya, co-founder of the project.