Churna declared marine protected area

Balochistan cabinet finalises decision in cabinet meeting

KARACHI:

The Balochistan cabinet's decision to declare Churna Island as the second marine protect area (MPA) of the province has been widely appreciated.

WWF-Pakistan was one of the first organisations to tip its hat after the cabinet made this decision in Wednesday's meeting. Previously, the Balochistan government had declared Astola Island as the first MPA in June 2017.

Churna Island, like Astola Island, is among the limited marine areas in Pakistan that have coral habitat and are termed a biodiversity hotspot. However, Churna Island, located near Karachi is being extensively used for scuba diving, snorkelling, cliff jumping, and jet skiing and other recreational activities. It is considered an important fishing ground where a large number of fishermen from Sindh and Balochistan operate.

The marine ecosystem and diverse wildlife inhabiting Churna Island are under serious threat due to many anthropogenic activities including the development of power plants, single-point mooring, an oil refinery in the immediate vicinity, as well as recreational activities that are conducted at the area. WWF-Pakistan believes that declaration of Churna Island as a MPA is an important step towards ensuring that the fragile ecosystem of the area is protected.