Churna Island: biodiversity hotspot in danger

Environmentalists warn 'declaration alone is not enough'

KARACHI:

In early September, Churna Island was designated as Pakistan's second-ever marine protected area in a bid to preserve its unique but eroding biodiversity.

Environmentalists view the island, located in the Arabian Sea some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the commercial hub of Karachi, as a biodiversity hotspot with many rare marine species and coral formations.

They are warning of grave dangers to the island and its biodiversity, including increasing industrial activities, marine pollution and illegal fishing.

"The island's marine ecosystem and diverse wildlife are facing serious threats due to a string of anthropogenic activities, including the development of power plants, single-point mooring, an oil refinery in the immediate vicinity, and recreational activities in the area," Muhammad Moazzam Khan, a technical adviser at WWF-Pakistan, told Anadolu.

He said the island is one of Pakistan's most unique natural ecosystems, with a big coral habitat and serves as a basking and feeding ground for whales, whale sharks, mobulid rays, sunfish and various other large fish.

The waters around the island are vital for thousands of fishermen from the southern Sindh and southwestern Balochistan provinces, who are also at risk of losing their livelihoods, he said.

Just a few hundred meters away from the island, there is a single-point mooring that delivers oil to a refinery, he added.

"This is too risky. If there's a spill someday, it could destroy the island," said Khan.

Then there are two power plants, one of them a coal-fired facility, that give off dangerous emissions that have already started to affect the habitat, he said.

In 2022, he continued, the area saw coral bleaching for the first time in its history, presumably due to temperature anomalies caused by industrial activities.

Need for strict controls and protection

Syed Khizar Sharif, an environmentalist based in Karachi, highlighted growing marine pollution, illegal fishing and unchecked tourism as the other major threats.

There is a serious lack of awareness about just how dangerous illegal fishing practices and marine pollution could prove for the island, he said.

On the tourism front, Churna is a popular destination for scuba diving, snorkeling, cliff jumping, jet skiing and other such activities.