PANAJI: Observing that the National Institute of Oceanography is expected to become a custodian of flora and fauna of the aquatic world spread around the country, and the institute could undertake this task in the form of a core programme,

the opening session of the 2-day expert consultation on marine biotechnology and biodiversity conservation being held in the city expressed serious concern over the climate change resulting in ecological disturbances, which in turn, is responsible for rapid  extinction of many aquatic species.
“Traditional taxonomy has to be kept alive for protection of aquatic species,” the marine scientists participating in the opening session opined, suggesting that the country needs a strong agency at the centre for implementing the rules and regulations to protect marine biodiversity.
The former director of the NIO, Dr B N Desai delivering his presidential address on the topic ‘Sustainability of marine bio-resources of India’ said that the total marine area belonging to this country is around 40,000 sq kms, which is pretty big in size and therefore, gives us time and opportunity to recover from the damage.
“NIO, which is a multidisciplinary organisation, is yet to complete the task of inventory of marine bio-resources due to the scarcity of adequate workforce,” Dr Desai added, further questioning the decision of putting all the marine parks under the jurisdiction of the forest department, when the department has little or no knowledge about the aquatic world.
The former NIO chief also predicted that the decision of the Gujarat government to create a sweet water lake in the Gulf of Cambay under the Kalpasar project, which envisages damming the gulf and storing waters of seven rivers, including Sabarmati, Narmada, Mahi, and Dhadhar, would wipe out all the existing aquatic species in the gulf waters. Dr W S Lakra, the director of Lucknow-based National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, one of the organisers of the event informed that the NBFGR has recently discovered 40 new fish species along the Western Ghats/ West coast as well as North-Eastern India, and a total number of 33 fish species have been characterised at species level using different markets.
Dr Lakra also informed that due to the introduction of a concept by NBFGR, as regards state fish, altogether 16 states have adopted their state fish, including West Bengal, which has made Hilsa its state fish. “We are persuading left out states to adopt their state fish,” he noted. It was also maintained that bringing genomics to biodiversity and DNA barcoding of fish are important objectives of the NBFGR; barcoding being significant in its application part. A member of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, Dr Mohan Joseph Modayil, in his keynote address on the topic ‘Aquatic bio-diversity: Are we jumping red lights?’ informed that for 20 per cent of the world population marine bio-diversity is responsible for providing food, just as around 70 per cent of the world’s fish species are fully exploited or depleted.
“The rate of depletion of the world fisheries has increased more than 4 times in the past 40 years,” he noted.
The ASRB member further said that currently about 30 million tonne of biomass is harvested to produce 6 to 7 million tonne of fish meal. “The hatchery based aquaculture can result in genetic pollution; use of antibodies and hormones; disease introductions and inbreeding,” he mentioned.
In conclusion, Dr Modayil suggested that marine protected areas may hold the key for boosting fish stocks, though at present, only one per cent of world’s oceans and seas are in MPAs.
The director in-charge of the NIO, Dr P A Lokabharati in her welcome speech said that the institute has undertaken different marine drives from beaches to deep sea and from bacteria to higher fauna by using both traditional and state-of-the-art techniques. “We have been involved in studies on horseshoe crab, turtles and even exotic species like sea horse,” she informed, pointing out that the institute is further working on mangroves and corals.   The expert consultation will discuss marine bio-diversity issues related to loss, conservation and utilisation; genetics, molecular biology and biotechnology of marine organisms; genetic resources for coastal aquaculture and mariculture development; marine ornamental fish species – resources utilisation, conservation, and diversification; marine protected areas, sanctuaries and bio-diversity parks; and national policy and regulations for sustainability of marine bio-sources.