CHENNAI: Succumbing to industrial lobby, Union government is reportedly pushing for large-scale commercial cultivation of invasive alien seaweed - Kappaphycus alvarezii - inside the eco-sensitive zone of Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park which is one of the world's richest regions for marine biodiversity and coral reefs.
Gujarat-based Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) has identified five locations in Gulf of Mannar and two locations in Gulf of Kutch for seaweed cultivation and submitted the proposal for Niti Aayog to initiate pilot-scale cultivation and even received funds.
Officials sources confirmed to TNIE Pattinamaruthur and Vellapatti in Ottapidaram block in Thoothukudi; Periyasamypuram in Villathikulam block in Thoothukudi, Erwadi in Kadaladi block in Ramanathapuram and Seeni appadharga in Mandapam block in Ramanathapuram are the five locations identified in Gulf of Mannar for Kappaphycus cultivation.
Sources said the multipurpose seaweed park announced for Tamil Nadu by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in last budget is being used as gateway to push cultivation of exotic species, rather than promoting native seaweed varieties. Kappaphycus, a fast growing alga known to absorb high amount of nutrients from seawater is already under rampant cultivation in Palk Bay region. Indigenous to Indonesia and Philippines, the exotic seaweed was introduced to India in 1995 for cultivation purpose. The commercial significance of Kappaphycus lies in its role in production of an industrially lucrative polymer called Carrageenan.
This is highly problematic considering the fact that the global invasive species database maintained by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the Kappaphycus in the 'red list'. The Invasive Species Specialist Group of IUCN has described the Kappaphycus as "destructive invasive species and pose a serious danger to the coral reefs".
There are numerous scientific studies and research papers published over the years by Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI), Thoothukudi and National Institute of Oceanography, Goa hinting of possible bio-invasion corals of Gulf of Mannar islands by Kappaphycus, if left unchecked.
A four-year underwater research study done by SDMRI with the funding support of Union environment ministry, whose results were publihsed in 2018, showed that Shingle, Kurusadai and Mulli islands in Mandapam cluster and Valai island in Kilakarai of Gulf of Mannar were invaded by Kappaphycus.
Considering the vast impact on corals, the report recommended that the cultivation of exotic seaweed in and around Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and Marine Biosphere Reserve areas should be completely stopped. "Government should not grant permission to introduce any alien species in Gulf of Mannar areas including for experimental proposes, as they are capable of altering the ecological balance as well as depleting the health and community structure of key resources like coral reefs and its eco services, and thereby the livelihood of dependent fisher community," the report said.In fact, there is a 2005 Government Order that restricts cultivation of the exotic seaweed only to the seawaters north of the Palk Bay and South of Thoothukudi coast.
When contacted, Commissioner of Fisheries KS Palanisamy told TNIE a consultant has been appointed to prepare a detailed project report for the proposed seaweed park. Feasibility studies are being conducted in Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur.
Palanisamy distanced himself from CSMCRI efforts to promote Kappaphycus inside eco-sensitive zone of Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. "I am not aware of it. We will not promote anything in violation of 2005 GO. Cultivation will be carried out outside the notified area."
Chief Wildlife Warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj told TNIE: "Kappaphycus is an invasive species and every year the department carries out manual clean-up of coral reefs in the islands invaded by the exotic seaweed. We don't have any problem, if native seaweed species are cultivated, but at no cost Kappaphycus will be allowed to be cultivated inside the Gulf of Mannar. This species can regrow from fragments as small as 0.5 cm making it an extremely difficult to control."