Awareness campaign on marine biodiversity in Kerala May 22

Thiruvananthapuram - The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) will organise an awareness campaign on marine life in the nine coastal districts of the state May 22, on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB).

The National Biodiversity Authority will also play a key role in the awareness campaign named as "greening the blue".

"Declining marine diversity, threats to the ecosystem, sustainable livelihood, and conservative approach and local level planning for the conservation of depleting resources will be the points that would be discussed on that day," said K.P. Laladhas, member secretary of KSBB.

The KSBB feels that there is an urgent need for the awareness campaign, as the coast in the state is approximately 10 per cent of the country's total coastline.

The official data show that 30 per cent of the state's population live in coastal areas, while the fishermen population in the state is about 1.1 million.

Studies have shown that the climate change coupled with construction of sea walls and infrastructure activities are threatening the habitat of sea-turtles in the state due to habitat destructions, poaching, marine debris and fishing activities.