Pakistan

Astola Island declared Pakistan's first marine protected area

Astola is located about 39km east of Pasni, Balochistan and is considered the largest island along coast of Pakistan

Correspondent June 16, 2017

A file photo of Astola Island. PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

KARACHI: Balochistan government on Thursday issued a notification declaring Astola Island as the first dedicated marine protected area in the country.

Home to several species of marine and terrestrial animals and plants, Astola is located about 39 kilometres east of Pasni in Balochistan and is considered the largest island along the coast of Pakistan.

The island is uninhabited but has breath-taking views and 200ft high cliffs. Locally called 'Haft Talar', it consists of a large tilted plateau and a series of seven small hillocks, with deep chasms and crevices, which are several feet wide.

Fishermen rescue dolphin trapped in fishing net off Balochistan coast

The endangered green turtle and the hawksbill turtle nest on the beach at the foot of its cliffs. It is also an important area for endemic reptiles such as the Astola viper. The island is reported to support a large number of breeding water birds, including coursers, curlews, godwit, gulls, plovers and sanderling. It is also home to coral reef with around 25 species of coral found in the ocean around the island.

The WWF-Pakistan congratulated the secretary Forest and Wildlife Department of Balochistan for his action over the Astola Island Marine Protected Area (AIMPA).

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2017.

COMMENTS (2)

AK | 7 years ago | Reply Forest and Wildlife Department of Balochistan for his action over the Astola Island Marine Protected Area (AIMPA). The WDB deserves congratulations for taking this positive first step towards protection of our ecological frontiers starting with Astola Island. More will come in future. Well done! I visited Baluchistan this year for the first time with my family. We were most impressed with the positivity of the Baluchis that is contributing to taking Pakistan forward.

abood | 7 years ago | Reply Now wait and see we are going there for picnic and take selfies and leave lot of trash there so the species can die.but we have to do this we cant let anything flourish in our country.

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