Karachi, 4 Sept 2024: WWF-Pakistan appreciates the Government of Balochistan for declaring Churna Island as the second Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Pakistan. The Balochistan cabinet held a meeting on Wednesday, 4 September 2024. During the meeting, they approved the declaration of Churna Island as the second Marine Protected Area (MPA). Previously, the Government of Balochistan declared Astola Island as the first MPA in June 2017.
Churna Island, like Astola Island, is one of the few marine areas in Pakistan with coral habitats. These areas are considered biodiversity hotspots. People extensively use Churna Island, located near Karachi, for scuba diving, snorkeling, cliff jumping, jet skiing, and other recreational activities. A large number of fishermen from Sindh and Balochistan operate in the area, as it is an important fishing ground.
Anthropogenic activities pose serious threats to the marine ecosystem and wildlife inhabiting Churna Island. These activities include the development of power plants, single-point mooring, and a nearby oil refinery. Recreational activities in the area also contribute to the threat. WWF-Pakistan believes that declaring Churna Island an MPA is an important step to protect the fragile ecosystem.
Further Action
WWF-Pakistan appreciates the efforts of the Government of Balochistan. They also praised the dedicated work of Dostain Jamaldini, Secretary of the Forest and Wildlife Department, and Sharifuddin Baloch, Chief Conservator of Wildlife, in securing this designation. Pakistan signed the Convention of Biological Diversity. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires states to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, a goal known as 30 x 30. The Declaration of Churna Island as a MPA will be an important step towards achieving this target.
Commenting on this declaration, Rab Nawaz, Senior Director, Biodiversity Programmes, WWF-Pakistan appealed to both the federal and Sindh governments to take decisive actions to achieve the target of 30 x 30 by following the footsteps of the Government of Balochistan and declaring additional Marine Protected Areas in Pakistan. Nawaz further said that because of poorly planned development activities and climate change, we are losing our marine resources. “This initiative will help reverse the damage caused to marine ecosystems and would protect marine life for future generations”, he added
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor at WWF-Pakistan, highlighted that Churna Island hosts more than 50 species of corals, 250 species of fish, and numerous invertebrates and vertebrates, making it a biodiversity hotspot. The declaration of Churna Island as a MPA will address the challenge of biodiversity loss and help protect the threatened species reported from this area.
This news is sourced from WWF PAK and is intended for informational purposes only.
