Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve
{{short description|Sea cucumber conservation area}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve
| alt_name = Cheriyapani Conservation Reserve
| iucn_category =
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption =
| map = India3
| coordinates = {{coord|11.902|N|71.783|E|region:IN-LD_type:isle_dim:50000_source:GNS-enwiki|display=inline,title}}
| map_width =
| location = Lakshadweep, India
| nearest_city = Bitra
| established = 27 February 2020
| governing_body = Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
| area_km2 = 239
}}
The Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve is a marine protected area located off the coast of the Indian union territory of Lakshadweep, approximately {{cvt|50|km}} northwest of the island of Bitra. Formally established by Indian authorities on February 27th, 2020, the reserve covers {{cvt|239|km²}} of the Arabian Sea, including parts of the Byramgore (Cheriyapani) Reef, and is the world's first conservation area specifically dedicated to the protection of sea cucumbers.
Background
=Sea cucumbers in the black market=
Since 2001, sea cucumbers have been protected in India under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA), affording them the same level of protection under the law as endangered species such as tigers and lions. This includes a total ban on their commercial harvest and transportation in any form. This sharp decrease in supply has created an exorbitant demand for them in the Asian black market, especially for use in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. In recent years, this has increased to the point where criminal organizations such as the Japanese yakuza reportedly make more money from smuggling sea cucumbers into countries such as China and Malaysia than they do from the sale of methamphetamine.
=Establishment of Indian conservation reserves=
Proposals for the creation of a marine protected area (MPA) in India to combat this trend have existed as early as 2003. Proposals for the Aggatti Conservation Reserve were first moved in 2008, and in 2020, three MPAs were created in Lakshadweep: the Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve, the Attakoya Thangal Marine Reserve {{cvt|344|km²}}, and the PM Sayeed Marine Birds Conservation Reserve {{cvt|62|km²}}. Collectively, they cover a total area of {{cvt|685|km²}}.
List of protected species
File:Sea cucumber at Pulau Redang.jpg is one of the most abundant species in the area.]]
The following 21 species of sea cucumbers are known to occur throughout the Lakshadweep archipelago, including the Dr. K.K. Mohammed Koya Sea Cucumber Conservation Reserve. Vulnerable and endangered species, as assessed by the IUCN Red List, are marked with {{IUCN status|VU}} and {{IUCN status|EN}}.
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- Family Holothuriidae (15 sp.)
- Genus Actinopyga
- Actinopyga mauritiana {{IUCN status|VU}}
- Genus Bohadschia
- Bohadschia sp. 1
- Bohadschia sp. 2
- Genus Holothuria
- Holothuria atra
- Holothuria cinerascens
- Holothuria difficilis
- Holothuria edulis
- Holothuria hilla
- Holothuria leucospilota
- Holothuria nobilis {{IUCN status|EN}}
- Holothuria pardalis
- Holothuria pervicax
- Holothuria scabra {{IUCN status|EN}}
- Genus Labidodemas
- Labidodemas rugosum
- Genus Pearsonothuria
- Pearsonothuria graeffei
- Family Synaptidae (3 sp.)
- Genus Euapta
- Euapta godeffroyi
- Genus Opheodesoma
- Opheodesoma grisea
- Genus Synapta
- Synapta maculata
- Family Stichopodidae (3 sp.)
- Genus Stichopus
- Stichopus chloronotus
- Stichopus herrmanni
- Genus Thelenota
- Thelenota ananas {{IUCN status|EN}}
{{div col end}}
See also
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{cite news|last1=Shaji|first1=K.A.|title=Lakshadweep unveils world’s first sea cucumber conservation reserve|date=5 May 2020|website=Mongabay-India|url=https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/|url-status=live|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518062222/https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/|archive-date=18 May 2024}}
{{cite news|last1=Syal|first1=Richa|title=‘Aphrodisiac’ of the ocean: how sea cucumbers became gold for organised crime|date=12 April 2021|website=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/12/sea-cucumbers-organised-crime-smuggling-aphrodisiac-biodiversity-sri-lanka-india|url-status=live|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928153445/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/12/sea-cucumbers-organised-crime-smuggling-aphrodisiac-biodiversity-sri-lanka-india|archive-date=28 September 2023}}
{{cite news|author=Marine Conservation Team|title=Newly Minted MPAs in the Lakshadweep Archipelago: Their significance and way forward|date=23 March 2020|website=Wildlife Conservation Society|url=https://programs.wcs.org/india/Newsroom/Blog/ID/14081/Newly-Minted-MPAs-in-the-Lakshadweep-Archipelago-Their-significance-and-way-forward|url-status=live|access-date=18 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240518231545/https://programs.wcs.org/india/Newsroom/Blog/ID/14081/Newly-Minted-MPAs-in-the-Lakshadweep-Archipelago-Their-significance-and-way-forward|archive-date=18 May 2024}}
{{cite news|last1=Yip|first1=Christy|title=Mafia are moving in to poach sea cucumbers. These guardians of the seabed are striking back|date=27 August 2022|website=Channel News Asia|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/mafia-poach-sea-cucumbers-seabed-india-sri-lanka-2901626|access-date=18 May 2024}}
}}
{{Lakshadweep}}
Category:Wildlife sanctuaries of India
Category:Marine protected areas