Mangroves logging goes on unabated

Mangroves are the trees that grow intertidal salty environment as they can tolerate frequent flooding and are able to obtain fresh water from salt waters. The mangroves' forests are very important, both economically and ecologically as these serve as natural resource and protection to the environment. Mangrove wood is a source of fuel-wood, poles and is used for making matchsticks ice cream sticks and other things.
Mangrove trees formations contribute to the marine food web through their production of detritus. These forests also serve as hatchery of many commercially important species of marine animals including fish, shrimps and crabs and are said to be feeding grounds for coastal fishes.
In Pakistan, the mangroves' forests are found in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan. The 1,050 kilometers long and 40-50 km wide coastline of the country is shared by the province of Sindh (350 km) and Balochistan (800). In Sindh mangroves are found mainly along Karachi coastline, and Badin and Thatta district in the Indus Delta extending from Korangi Creek in the north to Sir Creek in the South. Indus Delta, which has over 90 percent of the total mangroves of the country, comprises 17 major creeks, numerous minor creeks and mudflats.
A significant reduction in the fresh water supply and increased marine water pollution due to discharge of industrial waste into the sea, over harvesting/flogging of mangroves by local people, land mafia, timber mafia, sedimentation, and coastal erosion are usually considered to be the causes of depleting mangroves cover in Pakistan especially in Sindh.
Director of Coastal Ecosystem, International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Tahir Qureshi, says that the mangrove forests of Sindh are depleting fast due to various reasons including over-harvesting of the forests by the local communities, reclamation of mangrove forest land in the name of urbanization, low discharge of fresh water into the Indus delta and pollution of marine water by industrial waste.
Pakistan earns valuable foreign exchange by exporting seafood. But the unabated chopping of mangrove forests in coastal areas of Sindh and Karachi has adversely impacted the marine species especially fish, shrimps and crabs, resultantly affecting the export of seafood.
Qureshi said that with the chopping of mangrove forests, the seafood also decrease proportionately, as many species use mangrove forest for breeding. Due to the depletion of mangrove forest covers, many seafood species have made exodus from Pakistan seawaters to littoral waters other countries for breeding. "There are about 100 identified species of fin-fish and crustaceans that breed in these waters and 25 of them have commercial value," says Tahir Qureshi.
Sources said many mafias are indulged in merciless chopping of mangroves trees both in Karachi coastal areas and Thatta and Badin. They said that there were two types of mafias- one that cuts mangroves to sell wood to factories and the other that takes over the land.
A number of workers can be seen transporting mangrove wood from the Karachi islands to different beaches daily. This illegal business in connivance with certain political elements is feared to cause calamity to this city of about 20 million in the near future. Workers can be seen engaged in mangrove cutting near the coastal localities of Rehri, Ibrahim Hyderi and other areas. Several truckloads and donkey carts shift the sea wood to different warehouses.
Conservation activists say that this business of mangrove cutting is perhaps the most organised illegal business of its kind. The wood is used for manufacturing matchsticks and ice-cream sticks. They say that the woods of mangroves is also used by many industrial units in Karachi in their burners, as it is cost-effective as compared to gas. They said that an organised mafia is in involved in chopping mangroves trees to sell the same to the factories, which employ boilers for production.
On the other hand, the other mafia, which is comparatively more powerful and influential, is involved in logging of mangroves for reclamation. They clear mangroves to use the reclaimed land for construction or other purposes by filling it. Chairman, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Muhammad Ali Shah, dubbed the mafia as land grabbers. He said that even many institutions are involved in land grabbing in Karachi. He accused Defence Housing Authority, Port Qasim, Karachi Port Trust of indulging in that type of land grabbing. "These institutions are logging mangroves in the name of development and urbanization at the cost of marine life, environment and hundreds of thousands of fishermen, who are directly depending on these forests for their livelihood and protection," he added.
The Marina Club, Golf club and other housing schemes in DHA have been constructed on the lands by clearing mangroves, he claimed. Apart from this, he said, there are many influential people with political connections, who are also involved in reclamation of mangrove lands. "These people by cutting the mangroves in coastal areas of Karachi and Badin and Thatta are selling the reclaimed land to make money,' he added.
He deplored that the concerned authorities have kept themselves aloof from the illegal activities of these mafias. But Director Technical, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Sindh, Waqar Palphoto, said that the agency was actively working to preserve and protect the foretastes in co-ordination with other stakeholders and concerned agencies. However, he said that plantation of mangroves was not the job of EPA.
The mangrove forests are natural shields of coastal areas against storms, tsunami, cyclones and floods. Experts says that forests are so strong that when tsunami strike these, they lessen the intensity by upto 30 percent, resultantly decreasing possible destruction. They said the merciless chopping of the forests along Karachi coast line has exposed the city to storms and tsunami threats.
Tahir Qureshi said that the mangroves forest protect coastal areas from the affects of cyclones, tsunamis and storms. "These are natural barriers to shoreline erosion as they stabilise fine sediments and to some extent ward off effects of storms, hurricanes and tsunamis," he added.
President Bona Fide Fishermen and Boat Owners Welfare Association, Asif Bhatti said that strong fishing communities of the coastal villages of Karachi were worried over the uncontrolled denuding of coastal areas mangroves in Sindh. The fisherman of Keamari and others areas of the city have repeatedly urged the authorities concerned to take action against the people involved in the illegal practice, but did not receive any positive response.
"We have requested the authorities to protect the mangrove forest near our islands from illegal cutting but there is no response," Bhatti added. He said that the fisherman were well aware of the importance of mangroves as they are dependent on them for livelihood and protection of their costal habitats. The fast logging of mangroves, he said, has created marine environment problems, as the forests were natural hatcheries of shrimps breeding besides habitat of mud crabs.
He said the fishermen would face a big setback if their livelihood disturbed only because of the migration or killing of marine animals, which they depended on for livelihood. Mafia people boarding boats come from Mohammadi Colony, Machhar colony and other areas and chop mangrove trees with impunity, he added. PFF Chairperson Muhammand Ali stated that hundreds of thousand of people directly or indirectly depended on the mangrove ecosystem for living and for centuries these communities used mangroves as a fuel wood and fodder for their animals. Over the last five decades, mangrove forests had been subjected to over exploitation, he added.
Shah said that in 1986, the dense, normal and sparse vegetation were spread over on an area of 2,83,000 hectares, which has now been reduced to mere 70 thousands hectares. This speaks of itself the merciless chopping of the mangroves, he added. Both Muhamamd Ali Shah and Asif Bhatti flayed the government for its inaction over such an important issue, saying that despite consistent demands for action the government functionaries are unmoved.
Regarding the challenges hampering conservation efforts, PFF Chairman said in Karachi multiple agencies had control of mangrove forests, including Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust, Defence Housing Authority and Sindh Forest Department. "Though all these agencies claim ownership of forest falling in their respective jurisdiction, when it comes to safeguarding these, they all put responsibility on others," he added.
He said that the Sindh government has declared the mangroves forest as 'protected' and now Sindh Forest Department had the responsibility to protect and preserve these forests. But he deplored that the department seems to be least bothered in performing its duty. It is an irony that despite the fact that Sindh High Court has stayed logging of mangroves, the practice continues unabated, he added.
Shah demanded of the government to take immediate steps for protection and conservation of the precious forests, besides making efforts to increase the dwindling mangroves cover in Sindh. For preservation of mangroves, Tahir Qureshi suggested the government need to provide alternative fuel sources to the coastal communities, as these communities use the mangroves as fuel wood and fodder for their animals. He said that there is a need to create awareness among the stakeholders and local communities about the importance of the mangroves, besides launching development projects for uplift of the people living alongside the coastline.
Qureshi also underlined the need to immediately check the discharge of untreated effluent and industrial waste into sea that is not only destroying marine life but also harming the mangrove forests growth. He said that the IUCN was currently undertaking a Coastal Community Development Programme, which include planting of 8 thousands mangroves in Thatta and development of local community through infrastructure development projects.
Sindh Minister for environment acknowledged that the coastal areas of Sindh are under serious threat of degradation. He said that cutting of mangroves and encroachment are two major issues faced by the coastal areas. He said that his ministry was working in co-ordination with other departments and agencies to preserve the vital forests.