Mangrove forests' conservation along Sindh-Balochistan coasts accelerated

Mangrove forests' conservation along Sindh and Balochistan coasts has been accelerated to protect Pakistan coastline from Tsunamis and storms, IUCN sources told PPI. There are 160,000 hectares along the Indus delta, of which are covered by mangrove forests.
Country's mangrove forests are rapidly disappearing due to pollution, intrusion of seawater and deforestation. As mangrove forests are essential for not only protecting precious Pakistan coastline from storms and Tsunamis, so IUCN with foreign funding from UNDP, European Union and Pakistan government fully supported by WWF, has undertaken implementation under a well conceived conservation plan.
The plan provides protection of coastline, conservation of a wide variety of wildlife like marine fish, flamingoes, dolphins, mud crabs, ordinary crabs and shrimp found in abundance in Pakistan mangrove forests.
These forests are also important wetland home to migratory birds from Siberia, Russia, Central Asian states and Afghanistan. These forests are also under the process of development into a potent source of food, fuel, timber and medicine. The seafood mostly hi-quality fish, mud crabs and shrimps nursed in Pakistan mangrove forests are in hot demand in South Asia.
When asked about potential of Sonmiani Bay, the sources said it is not only picturesque but also a potent site internationally recognised as home to bottlenose, dolphins, turtles and multitude of water and seabirds besides migratory birds. Sonmiani has more than 2500 hectares mangrove forests already declared a protected mouth opening out into Arabian Sea.
Different from the open shores of the Makran Coast along Arabian Sea, Sonmiani Lagoon waters lie within mud flats and islands attractive to undersea wealth, precious plants and people from foreign countries.
Sonmiani Bay is also attractive to the people from the interior of Pakistan for mangrove sighting, dolphin watching, wildlife birds, boating and fishing, equally attractive is mangrove plants.
The world has more than 30 species of mangrove plants, of these particularly Sonmiani Bay has four famous mangrove species. Most dominating is avicennia, its leaves are excellent and most useful for the livestock particularly camels, cows, sheep and goats. Equally useful is its wood used for construction of huts and houses.
Under a plan, mangrove nurseries in the Sonmiani Bay with UNDP and European Union funding have been undertaken by the fishermen. More than 50,000 plants have been planted in the Sonmiani Bay over an area of 150 hectares for saplings and seeds by the fishermen.
Such fishermen efforts with closer cooperation of WWF-Pakistan are richly contributing top mangrove forest conservation in the Sonmiani Bay.
About the impact of Pakistan's third port at Sonmiani along Balochistan coast, IUCN sources said the present government is committed to mangrove forest conservation. Every effort would be made to conserve Sonmiani mangrove forest where an Eco-tourism information center is almost complete.
The sources said the center would not only add significantly towards habitat improvement for wildlife such as marine fish, flamingoes and dolphins in Sonmiani Bay but would also attract more and more foreign tourists and visitors side by side seaport at Sonmiani.