Professor Pirzada Qasim, vice-chancellor, University of Karachi, has praised the bold steps taken by the marine biologists for the cetacean conservation in Pakistan and suggested that our shoreline should be developed as ecological tourist industry.
He was speaking at a seminar on "Marine Biodiversity: Cetacean Conservation in Pakistan" at the auditorium of A.Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Karachi on Tuesday.
The seminar was organised by the British Council, Karachi, in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology (CEMB). Dr Rupert Ormond, director, University Marine Biological Station, Millport, UK, was the keynote speaker. He gave his presentation on "Scope of Management of Marine Biodiversity in Pakistan".
Dr Mauvis Gore, professor, University Marine Biological Station, Millport, UK, gave her presentation on "Conservation of Pakistan's Marine Cetacean Biodiversity and Pelagic Environment."
Professor Pirzada Qasim suggested that facilities for watching whale, porpoise and other mammals should be developed to bring in a new tourism industry. It will generate interest among the national and international tourists in addition to bringing foreign exchange in the country.
It has been generally noted that the ecological system in Pakistan is largely ignored and we may be near to some ecological disaster. The seminar on the marine biodiversity has been organised to stop the march of ecological monster and keep the ecology clean and vibrant.
The cetacean is a collective name of the whales, dolphins, and porpoises. They are mammals not fish as they breathe air. For this purpose they have to come on the surface of water and enable the onlookers to watch them. There are 20 species of marine cetaceans off the coast of Pakistan.
Dr Rupert Ormond talked about the destruction of mangrove forests at our coastline. Mangroves are the food and habitat of the fish. The people are least concerned about what is lying under sea as long as they get the fish. Corals are the living animals and they have mouth in the centre and tentacles at the body. Too many disturbances in water kill them.
Dr Mauvis Gore informed about the Darwin Project initiated by her institution at Millport and CEMB, University of Karachi. The project will train and develop the human resources in Pakistan to save the ecology. She said it was the aim of the project to save the cetaceans and other marine life in the Pakistani waters. It is hoped that it will also be included in honours and degree-level courses in the CEMB.
CEMB Director Dr Shaukat Hayat Khan, thanked the researchers from UK and all those who had made the programme a success. He was pleased that his institute had initiated such important projects to conserve the marine live in Pakistan.