Balochistan Govt Designates New Island as Marine Protected Area

The Balochistan government has finally responded to the concerns of environmentalists regarding Churna Island by officially designating the area as a ‘Marine Protected Area’ on Wednesday. This decision was made during a provincial cabinet meeting chaired by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti in Quetta.

Churna Island is now the second island in Balochistan to receive protected status, following the designation of Astola Island as a marine protected area in June 2017. Both islands are considered biodiversity hotspots, home to coral habitats and a wide range of marine life.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P), Churna Island hosts over 50 species of corals, 250 species of fish, and numerous invertebrates and vertebrates. The island, located near Karachi, is a popular site for recreational activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, cliff jumping, and jet skiing. It also serves as a crucial fishing ground for fishermen from both Sindh and Balochistan.

However, experts have raised alarms about the threats to Churna Island’s marine ecosystem and wildlife due to human activities, including the development of power plants, single-point mooring, an oil refinery nearby, and the impact of tourism.

In response to the island’s new protected status, WWF-P welcomed the Balochistan government’s decision, calling it a critical move to safeguard the fragile ecosystem. WWF-P’s Senior Director of Biodiversity Programmes, Rab Nawaz, urged the federal and Sindh governments to follow Balochistan’s lead and expand marine protected areas to meet the global target of protecting 30% of Earth’s land and ocean by 2030, under the ’30 x 30′ initiative.

Nawaz also expressed concern over the country’s declining marine resources due to poorly planned development and climate change. He emphasized that protecting Churna Island will help mitigate damage to marine ecosystems and preserve marine life for future generations.

WWF-P Technical Adviser Muhammad Moazzam Khan highlighted the island’s rich biodiversity, noting its significant coral and fish populations. He stressed that the protected status would address the ongoing loss of biodiversity and safeguard threatened species.

Pakistan, as a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, is required under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to designate 30% of its ocean area as protected by 2030.

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