CORAL REEFS IN INDIA'S NATIONAL MARINE PARK: DROWNING IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001242

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/ENRC, OES/ENV, OES/OA, AND SCA/INS
STATE PASS TO NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
INTERIOR FOR FRED BAGLEY AND MINI NAGENDRAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV IN
SUBJECT: CORAL REEFS IN INDIA'S NATIONAL MARINE PARK: DROWNING IN
A SEA OF SEDIMENT


NEW DELHI 00001242 001.4 OF 002



1. (SBU) SUMMARY: EmbOffs recently traveled to India's Gujarat
state and met with the Director of the Marine National Park, Mr.
D.S. Narve, in order to discuss the condition of the park's coral
reefs, the United States' position as the co-secretariat of the
International Coral Reef Initiative, and the effect of 2008 being
declared the International Year of the Reef. A field visit revealed
the park's corals, as well as the entire ecosystem, were highly
threatened by sediment deposits coming from dredging operations in
Kandla Port. A separate meeting with the Senior Coordinator of the
World Wide Fund for Nature's Marine Program in India revealed the
state of the park's corals was not nearly as rosy as portrayed by
Director Narve. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) The Marine National Park (MNP) encompasses 162.89 sq.kms and
is located along the southern boundary of the Gulf of Kutch, an
extension of the Arabian Sea surrounded on three sides by Gujarat
state. MNP is home to a wide variety of species including both hard
and soft corals, sponges, jelly fish, dolphins, dugongs, and sea
turtles. It was declared a National Park in 1982 making it the
first protected marine environment in India. However, what
protection it currently enjoys is not nearly enough to conserve this
fragile ecosystem.

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STATUS OF MARINE NATIONAL PARK
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3. (U) Unlike India's land-based National Parks, which suffer
greatly due to intense pressure from India's burgeoning population,
MNP has almost no direct population pressure. Conservator of
Forests and Director of MNP, Mr. D.S. Narve, stated the reason for
this was that Gujaratis, and Northern Indians in particular, are a
terrestrial people with little interest in the sea barring certain
fishing communities. He stated that while MNP did see some local
tourism, access to the reefs was difficult and that tourism had not
had a major impact. In addition, the land directly adjoining much
of MNP is not sufficient to sustain large populations. EmbOffs
traveled to an inter-tidal region of MNP near Positra and noted the
complete absence of people and almost no land based pollution or
litter. In an area of approximately four square kilometers, EmbOffs
found nothing more than a single discarded potato chip bag and two
tangles of monofilament fishing line. In India, where both trash
and people are essentially everywhere, this is remarkable.


4. (U) During the field visit, Director Narve's staff did
everything possible to demonstrate to EmbOff's the alleged rich
diversity of MNP. They were able to locate and point out a few fish
and crab species and a reasonable amount of both plate and small
brain coral although nothing compared to what is found in a healthy
inter-tidal zone. In addition, all of the coral was covered by
heavy deposits of sediment which, according to Narve, originated in
dredging operations in Kandla Port located on the north coast of the
Gulf of Kutch. He noted the currents in the gulf run clockwise from
north to south bringing any sediment deposited in the northern half
of the gulf directly to MNP. When asked whether anyone had
suggested depositing the spoils from the dredging on land or in a
less ecologically sensitive location in the sea, Narve stated the
issue had never been addressed. Narve also said his office had had
no dealings with any NGOs interested in protecting MNP.


5. (SBU) In addition to sedimentation due to dredging, EmbOffs
raised the issue of the refineries of Indian Oil, Essar Oil, and
Reliance Industries located near MNP. Narve stated there has never
been a problem with the oil industry negatively impacting the marine
ecosystem. When asked about the results of the relocation of over
three hundred coral reefs necessitated by the laying of an undersea
oil pipeline by Essar Oil directly through MNP in 2005, Narve stated
the relocated corals were doing well and that the project, paid for
by Essar and carried out by scientists of India's National Institute
of Oceanography, was a great success.


6. (U) Narve welcomed U.S. leadership on reef conservation and
praised U.S. efforts as co-secretariat of the International Coral
Reef Initiative. He stated he was looking forward to attending the
11th International Coral Reef Symposium in Fort Lauderdale in July
2008 and that U.S. assistance for reef conservation in India was
most welcome. When asked to elaborate further on the threats to
MNP, Narve maintained that dredging at Kandla Port was the main
threat along with siltation due to the loss of coastal mangroves.
He pointed out his office was active in planting new mangroves,
which EmbOffs noted in the field visit to Positra, but that there
was little he could do about the dredging issue. He dismissed
concerns over illegal fishing and said that coral mining had been

NEW DELHI 00001242 002.4 OF 002


completely halted over the last few years.

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THE NGO PERSPECTIVE
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7. (U) In a follow-on meeting, EmbOffs discussed the state of MNP
with Fahmeeda Hanfee, the Senior Coordinator of the Marine Program
at the World Wide Fund for Nature - India. Ms. Hanfee was very
frank in stating that awareness of the need for marine conservation
was not well developed in India and echoed many of the sentiments of
Director Narve that Indians were a terrestrially focused people.
She stated the fact that 2008 had been declared the International
Year of the Reef was essentially unknown in India and that few would
care if it was publicized. Drawing a contrast with terrestrial
conservation in India, she noted the dozens of NGOs involved with
tiger conservation but stated there were virtually none dedicated to
marine issues. She said WWF-India itself did not have a significant
coral reef program and that their marine activities were currently
focused on sea turtle conservation. She did note that India's
National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) was very active in studying
coral reefs and that her contacts at NIO had informed her that over
60 percent of the coral species relocated by Essar Oil in MNP had
died. She also stated there was real concern among marine
biologists of a potential oil spill in MNP and that the threat of
the oil industry to the marine ecosystem could not be discounted.
Finally, she confirmed that her information was the same as Director
Narve's, that sediment from dredging at Kandla Port was choking the
coral in MNP.

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COMMENT
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8. (SBU) While it comes as no surprise that Director Narve put the
best possible spin on the situation in MNP, readily admitting he
directed his staff to take us to one of the most pristine locations
in the park, the reality on the ground was evident to see. Although
there is still a living ecosystem visible in the inter-tidal zone
near Positra, the lack of species and the fact that the entire area,
including all of the coral, was covered in thick sediment,
demonstrates a strong need for better conservation beginning with
changing the dredging practices at Kandla Port. Embassy New Delhi's
ESTH office will seek opportunities to engage Government of India
and Gujarat state officials in order to address the issue.

MULFORD