KOCHI: The scientists, who attended the three-day International Conference on Benthos organised by the Cusat Department of Marine Biology, recommended a long-term plan to protect the marine ecosystem from chemical and plastic pollution and to ward off the ill effects of climate change.
“There is too much pollution in the estuaries and backwaters in Kerala. I was involved in the classification of short necked clams in Kochi estuary. The heavy metal contamination of the estuary is affecting the health of the organisms. This may adversely affect the health of the people who consume the clams. The authorities should initiate action against the chemical industries releasing effluents into the rivers,” UK National Museum of Wales Honorary Research Fellow Graham P Oliver told Express.
He said microplastics are posing a threat to the health of humans and other animals. “The sea breaks the plastic into microscopic pieces and organisms including the clams ingest it. Plastic is indigestible and by entering the food chain it poses a threat to all living beings,” said Oliver.He urged the Union Government to issue a water framework directive setting very strict regulations to curb pollution. “There is a need to create awareness.,” said Oliver.
He said the flood has brought more nutrients along with sediments to the coastal sea and it will lead to a slight increase in availability of fish along Kerala coast in the future. He said overfishing has led to depletion of fish stocks in the Arabian sea and there is a need to adopt sustainable fishing practices. National University of Singapore Marine Science Research Programme Director Peter Ng Kee Lin said the scientists world over should come together and persuade political masters to adopt methods to save the planet from pollution and climate change.
“Climate change can lead to a rise in sea level and increase in seawater temperature. This will affect the marine animals which will need time to adapt to the changes. We should have long term plans to address the ill effects of climate change and pollution. There is a communication gap between the scientific community, the public and the scientists, which need to be addressed,” he said.
The conference deliberated on the need for better management of Decapod fishery resources and recommended further studies on the physical, geomorphological and environmental setups which influence benthic ecosystems in the Indian Ocean, said programme convenor S Bijoy Nandan.“We have to conduct more studies on the impact of pollution on the ecosystem and create facilities to explore deeper parts of the ocean hitherto unexplored, to expand biodiversity knowledge,” he said.