Content:
- Development without the savaging of urban biodiversity
- Overfishing — the threat to ocean wealth, livelihoods
Development without the savaging of urban biodiversity
Context & Urgency
- Urban biodiversity is declining rapidly due to unplanned development, with 25% of global species under extinction threat.
- The International Day for Biological Diversity 2024 theme is “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development”.
Relevance : GS 3(Environment and Ecology)
Practice Question : Urban development is essential, but it must not come at the cost of urban biodiversity.
Critically examine the challenges to urban biodiversity in Indian cities and suggest policy measures that can ensure sustainable urban development.(250 Words)
Urban Green Space & Its Benefits
- Health benefits: Trees mitigate urban heat islands, reduce pollution and noise, and provide recreation and spiritual value.
- Economic benefits: Urban tree services valued at ₹8 crore/sq.km annually; green spaces contribute to human well-being and disaster resilience.
- Yet, major Indian cities have poor forest cover (Mumbai 25%, Delhi 12.6%, Chennai 4.6%).
Planning & Frameworks
- The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and UN SDG-11 provide urban biodiversity conservation targets.
- UN-Habitat’s 3-30-300 principle: Each home should see 3 trees, have 30% canopy in neighbourhoods, and green space within 300 m.
Indian Examples & Models
- Chennai Koyambedu greening: 141 plant species, 35 bird and 27 butterfly species regenerated in two years.
- Pallikaranai Marsh: Restored and declared a Ramsar site; yet many water bodies remain encroached or polluted.
- Madras Race Club is being transformed into a groundwater-recharge lake — an example of eco-restoration.
Policy Suggestions
- Mandate planting 5 trees in plots >2400 sq ft in city building norms.
- Promote roof/kitchen gardens for native biodiversity and health.
- Legal protection for remaining waterbodies is crucial before they vanish completely.
Need for Collective Action
- City managers must be proactive: prevent destruction and pollution of ecosystems.
- Mass movement for urban biodiversity needed: engage RWAs, NGOs, corporates.
- Supreme Court’s intervention in Kancha Gachibowli, Hyderabad case sets a precedent against biodiversity destruction for development.
Conclusion
- Urban development must integrate biodiversity preservation as a core value.
- A decentralised, inclusive approach can create greener, healthier, and more resilient cities.
Overfishing — the threat to ocean wealth, livelihoods
Current Status of Indian Marine Fisheries
- India’s marine capture fisheries have plateaued at 3–4 million tonnes annually.
- This output suggests India has reached its maximum potential yield.
- Small-scale fishers (90%) account for only 10% of the catch; mechanised operations dominate the volume.
- Despite large-scale production, 75% of marine fisher families live below the poverty line.
Relevance : GS 3 ( Environment and Sustainable Development)
Practice Question : Overfishing is not only a threat to marine biodiversity but also to the livelihoods of coastal communities.Discuss the ecological, economic, and governance challenges posed by overfishing in India, and analyse policy reforms needed to ensure sustainable fisheries management.(250 Words)
Ecological and Economic Impact of Overfishing
- Fishers try to increase catch through newer gear and bigger engines, but this leads to marginal gains and more debt.
- On trawlers, bycatch-to-target ratio is extremely high — e.g., 10 kg of bycatch per 1 kg of shrimp.
- Juvenile fishing due to small mesh nets depletes spawning biomass, causing long-term stock decline in key species like sardine and mackerel.
- Overfishing results in damage to reefs, food webs, and marine biodiversity.
Global Examples of Fisheries Collapse
- Canada’s Northern cod fishery collapsed (1992) — remains unrecovered despite a moratorium.
- California’s Pacific sardine fishery collapsed twice — in mid-1900s and again in recent decades due to failed stock rebounds.
Regulatory and Governance Challenges
- Each coastal State/UT has its own Marine Fisheries Regulation Act (MFRA), creating inconsistent and ineffective enforcement.
- State-wise legal loopholes allow illegal fishing (like landing undersized catch) by crossing borders.
- Lack of uniform legal size limits, closed seasons, and gear standards undermines conservation.
Policy Recommendations
- Harmonise MFRAs at the national level with:
- Uniform Minimum Legal Size (MLS)
- Gear restrictions
- Closed seasons
- Science-based catch limits
- Introduce a Quota Management System (QMS):
- Inspired by New Zealand, where individual transferable quotas are based on stock assessments.
- Pilot QMS for India’s mechanised trawl fleet to link fishing allowances to stock health.
Domestic Success Stories
- Kerala’s MLS for threadfin bream led to 41% increase in catches in a single season — evidence that letting fish mature boosts long-term yields.
Reining in the Fish-Meal and Fish-Oil (FMFO) Industry
- Bycatch is often converted into fishmeal, incentivising the capture of juveniles and non-target species.
- Over 50% of some trawl catches are low-value bycatch — a loss for both nutrition and domestic aquaculture.
- Suggested actions:
- Cap FMFO quotas.
- Mandate release of juvenile catch.
- Redirect bycatch to local aquaculture broodstock.
Need for Multi-level Action
- Centre: Reform licences, subsidies, and infrastructure for ecosystem-based regulation.
- States: Improve enforcement with better patrols and real-time monitoring.
- Communities: Empower fishers’ cooperatives to co-manage marine protected areas.
- Consumers: Choose legally sized, sustainably sourced seafood and avoid ecologically harmful options.
Conclusion
- India’s coastlines and fisheries face climate threats, poverty, and biodiversity loss.
- Overexploitation will worsen poverty and ecological collapse.
- Solutions are feasible:
- Science-driven quotas.
- Unified national policies.
- Local stewardship.
- Consumer responsibility.
