CHILIKA: As the dusk sets in over Sorana, Baraju Behera and four others from his community set out in a boat into the shallow waters of Chilika.
Fishing, though, isn’t on their agenda.
Navigating through the marshes and dense vegetation of Phragmites, a tall wetland grass, they patrol the lake and wait for the opportunity to get a glimpse of the elusive animal, the fishing cat.
“We get lucky on some days but regular patrolling has helped keep this cat and its habitat safe from poachers, fire and illegal fishing”, says Behera who along with six others is part of the Chilika Adrabhumi Sangrakshan Committee of Sorana that was formed this year.
Sorana is a fishermen’s village abutting the 1100 sq km lagoon.
The community-managed monitoring and patrolling of fishing cats in Chilika began in May after the first-ever census of the cat commenced in the lake. The exercise hasn’t stopped since then.
At least two more villages - Hardas and Bhushandpur - too have similar fishing cat conservation units created at community level.
Bringing these villagers together were founders of The Fishing Cat Project Tiasa Adhya and Partha Dey who collaborated with the Chilika Development Authority (CDA).
The idea was to involve locals in conservation activities and enhance their understanding of the importance of fishing cats to Chilika.
The first round of the maiden census conducted in Sorana-Mangalajodi side of Chilika had found presence of over 100 fishing cats.
The second round enumeration on Krushnaprasad side of Chilika will be conducted in January next.
While population of fishing cats - called Baghadi or Macharanka Bilei in Odia - is distributed throughout Chilika, their numbers are relatively higher in the 115 sq km of its marshlands.
And in this part of the wetlands, the fishing cat shares the landscape with two Otter species - Eurasian Otter and Smooth coated Otter.
Biologist Tiasa, who began the project in Chilika in 2017, says existence of these three species in one place is rare.
Compared to other parts of India, fishing cats are safe in Chilika. In neighbouring West Bengal, it is considered a conflict animal because it preys on fish in private ponds.
“Chilika has fish, birds, snakes, crustaceans, reptiles. It is no one’s and at the same time, every one’s property. It supports both the humans and fishing cats which is why they are safe here”, says Tiasa who is doing her Master of Research from University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru.
Yet, as Chilika has to battle illegal prawn culture, deforestation upstream, invasive water hyacinth, poaching and illegal aquaculture, the fishing cats are also at risk.
“This is why we felt the need for round-the-year patrolling and monitoring of the fishing cats to ensure that they remain safe in Chilika which is located between two protected mangrove forests in the eastern coast - Bhitarkanika in the north and Coringa in the south (Andhra). Chilika could be playing a crucial role in maintaining connectivity between the fishing cat populations”, she says.
Through the community initiative, Baraju says, they have been able curb incidents of fire in Phragmites beds which house the fishing cat dens.
“Since these reeds block the channels, fishermen set them on fire during summers damaging the cat habitats. Even after burning, the reeds grow back aggressively worsening the problem for fishermen. We have been telling villagers to engage with CDA seeking help in dredging the channels as and when required. Many have agreed and this way, we have been able to reduce the reed fires by 80 per cent this year”, says the fisherman who was a forest guard for several years.
The village committees have WhatsApp groups of local forest protection committees, officials concerned and villagers to share information on poachers who poison native and migratory birds for meat.
This has to be prevented as there are chances of fishing cats eating these poisoned birds, says Baraju.
Chief Executive of CDA Susanta Nanda says an action plan is being devised for conservation of fishing cats which includes radio-collaring to track their migration and map their actual habitats.
“Besides, the plan would focus on community participation in conservation activities and sensitising locals to save fishing cats and their habitat”, he says.
Around 150 eco-clubs will also be created to create awareness among children at high school level.
Wetland Aquascape
Conservation is not all that they do. These committees help build a generation that is aware and sensitive towards Chilika and the cat species which is part of their home.
Fishes are at the heart of Chilika’s ecosystem and both fishermen and fishing cats are dependent on them.
Although fishermen are children of Chilika, they hardly see what’s beneath the waters, says Prasanna Behera, a member of the committee.
Through ‘Know Your Marshes’ initiative, the committee members have set up four freshwater aquariums - both carnivorous and omnivorous - and a fishing tank made entirely with Chilika’s soil and marine plants in the village. Frolicking inside these mini aquatic bodies are Chilika’s fishes.
“This is an excellent model or a lab where people of all age groups can see the ecosystem that thrives under Chilika including photosynthesis by plants” he adds.
Cat information
Fishing cat, a felid, is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and categorised as endangered in International Union for Conservation of Nature’s ‘red list’ of threatened species.
It was declared Chilika’s ambassador in 2020.