
KOCHI: Amid allegations of opening up the fisheries sector to corporates, the Union government’s move to allow offshore mining of construction sand has triggered resentment in Kerala. While various fishers’ unions have threatened to launch a united agitation, the state government has conveyed its disapproval, stating that it will affect the livelihood of the fisherfolk.
Meanwhile, marine geologists have termed it a huge opportunity as Kerala will be earning a huge income through shipping, trade, and GST collection.
The Centre decided to conduct offshore mineral exploration based on a study by the Geological Survey of India which reported 745 million tonnes of sand deposits suitable for construction activities in Kerala’s coastal sea. The Centre has decided to auction sand blocks for offshore mining in five sectors: Ponnani, Chavakkad, Alappuzha, Kollam North, and Kollam South.
The decision to conduct sand mining in the Kollam sector has shocked the fishers as the region is a traditional fishing ground. The Kollam Parappu or Kollam Bank is one of the most productive fishing grounds on the southwest coast of India. The bank has a depth range of 275 to 375 metres. It extends to an area of 3,300 km2 off the coast of Kollam and Alappuzha districts. The region is rich in marine biological diversity, including pink perch, trevally, shrimp, lobster, pomfret, mackerel, oil sardine, Jewfish and Indian salmon.
B Madhusoodana Kurup, a fisheries researcher and founder-vice chancellor of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), recalled a study carried out two decades back on the impact bottom trawling had on the marine ecosystem.
“It was found that bottom trawling caused massive destruction of the benthic community, the organism found on seabed. The turbidity hampered photosynthesis for 48 hours and stirred pollutants deposited on the ocean bed including heavy metals,” he said. The sand explorers will be using huge dredgers for excavation, which will create lots of plume, Kurup pointed out.
“Turbidity will hamper sunlight penetration and the productivity of the area will be lost. The entire area will become unfertile for a period of time. Due to the non-penetration of sunlight, carbon assimilation will not take place. That will affect phytoplankton, and ultimately, the fish. The toxic metals will jeopardise the ecosystem and reach humans through food chain. The dissolved oxygen content will reduce and fish will migrate to safer zones,” he said.
Offshore mining can change the water current pattern and tidal action, possibly aggravating coastal erosion, he added.
Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian said the fisheries sector provides livelihood to 2.5 lakh families in Kerala.
“The mining activity can destroy the coral reefs ecosystem which harbours marine life. The Centre’s move infringes on the state’s rights. Allowing corporates in the offshore mining sector can hamper the livelihood of the fishermen,” he said.
However, experts at the Geological Survey of India (GSI) said the concerns are unnecessary and unwarranted. “There is no need to be worried about the environmental aspect of the offshore sand exploration as the auction is only for a composite licence which includes exploration and extraction. The decision to auction the blocks was taken based on a G3-level exploration conducted by the GSI. A G3 exploration is a preliminary study and we have to conduct a G2 exploration before starting extraction. At the G2-level, we have to study the environmental aspect and obtain an environmental clearance too,” GSI Marine Division head M N Shareef said.
The three blocks identified off Kollam port are not located in the Kollam Parappu area, said former GSI marine biologist P Praveen Kumar who was associated with the exploration of offshore sand resources.
“Each block has 100 million tonnes of sand deposit and the value is huge. The activity will take place in a small area and it will not destroy the marine ecosystem. We have 300 million tonnes of sand and exploring it will boost Kerala’s economy through revenue from shipping, trade, and GST collection. This is not the first such project in the world. Around 30% of the sand used in the US is from offshore resources,” he said.