KARACHI, Dec 28: Dolphin breeding in the Keti Bunder creek and mangroves areas is on a constant decline due to the fast-shrinking mangroves forest cover resulting from a less flow of water downstream Kotri. The decreasing flow of fresh water is drying up the Indus delta.

Sources in the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-P) stated on Sunday that Keti Bunder — about 200 kilometres south-east of Karachi — is a wildlife sanctuary for common fish species, water birds and marine mammals, particularly various species of dolphin.

Wildlife experts and activists have warned that decreasing flow of fresh water has assumed an alarming level seriously threatening all local and migratory marine species, besides causing heavy environmental and ecological losses to the entire costal area, especially Keti Bunder. If the government fails to realise the gravity of the situation and take appropriate measures on an emergency basis, the fallout of the situation could be disastrous for the marine life and ecology of the region.

Certain dolphin species such as bottlenose dolphin, hump-backed dolphin, common dolphin and spinner dolphin swim into the Keti Bunder creek and mangroves forest areas in breeding season.

According to the sources, the major part of mangrove forests in Pakistan is found in the Keti Bunder area. A gradual decrease of fresh water flow and nutrient-rich alluvium coupled with an increasing flow of hyper-saline water in the area has seriously constrained mangroves growth. Until a few years ago, the mangroves forests were spread over 160,000 hectares but with the reduction in the fresh water flow from the Indus River, the forests have shrunk to just 80,000 hectares.

This, in turn, has affected breeding of dolphin, other fish species, shrimp and certain local and migratory birds as all these species depend on a sound ecology and healthy natural resource.

Mangroves forests of Keti Bunder are categorised as “protected forests” and the lands and lakes of Keti Bunder have been notified as “wildlife sanctuary”. It has been a matter of serious concern that the mangroves forests in Kangri, Goro and Turchan creeks have completely vanished. In Hajamro creek, mangroves do exist but on a small scale. Some mangroves concentrations also exist in the Khobber creek, along the Indo-Pakistan border.

It is believed that excessive cutting of mangroves by local communities is also a big factor contributing to the fast depletion of the forests. The communities use the mangroves as fuel and fodder.

Fish and shrimp species

Keti Bunder creeks and mangroves forest areas are also a natural habitat for fish and shrimp species, including Goli, Dangri, Phar, Kiddi, Mato, Lour, Pada, Boska, Bora, Batoon, Ghanghar, Kachik, Palpet, Dangro and Suneri. Some fish species, significantly Palla, have nearly vanished.

Palla has migratory habits and for breeding, it ascends upstream in the Indus from the Arabian Sea. It used to travel up to Multan until before the construction of barrages on the River Indus but recent studies show that it travelled up to Kotri Barrage for breeding from July to September.

In the past, Palla used to be the single largest species of fish comprising 70 per cent of the total catch but now it hardly constitutes 15 per cent of the total catch.

About 63 fish species and 24 shell species are found in the Keti Bunder area while the official records show that some 50,000 migratory birds of different species visit the area in the migration season. These birds include pelicans, egrets, herons, waders and raptors

According to the ecological assessment in 2006, a total of 69 bird species visited the area during the season and a majority of the species related to migratory birds such as white pelican, marsh sandpiper, green shank, red shank, curlew and ruff.—PPI