06-bioresourcesstatu.. - M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation

1. Introduction
Chilika Lake
Chilika, the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia,
has been strongly associated with cultural
heritage as well as socio-economic status of the
state of Orissa. Like other lagoon systems in the
world, Chilika lagoon, a semi-enclosed body of
water connected with the Bay of Bengal by an
inlet mouth, supports indigenous species of
economic importance, acts as spawning and
nursery ground for migratory species, used for
fishing and breeding larval and adult forms of
fishes and also regarded as valuable site for
tourism and recreation. Due to its vast potential
wealth of living and non-living resources and rich
biodiversity, Chilika lagoon is considered as a
'Ramsar (Wetlands) Site', a status accorded to it
by the International Convention of Environment
held in Ramsar in Iran in 1971. India became a
Contracting Party to the Convention in October
1981, and designated Chilika Lake (Orissa) and
Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) as its first
two Ramsar Sites. After that the number of
Ramasar Sites in India has been increased to 19
which include Ashtamudi Wetland, Kerala,
Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Orissa, Bho Wetland,.
Madhya Pradesh, Deepor Beel, Assam, East
Calcutta Wetlands, West Bengal, Harike Lake,
Punj ab, Kanjli, Punjab, Kolleru Lake, Andhra
Pradesh, Loktak Lake, Manipur, Point Calimere
Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu, Pong
Dam Lake, Himachal Pradesh, Ropar, Punjab,
Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan, Sasthamkotta Lake,
Kerala, Tsomoriri, Jammu & Kashmir, Vembanad-
Kol Wetland, Kerala and Wular Lake, Jammu &
Kashmir.
Wetlands are transitional areas between dry
terrestrial and permanent aquatic ecosystems and
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Chilika Lake
• Brahma B. Panda and Pratap K. Mohanty
are recognised as highly productive. The
importance of the aforesaid wetlands in socioeconomic
frontiers has been increasingly felt. At
the national level, 22 national wetlands and 11
national lakes have been identified for intensive
conservation and management so as to restore
these wetlands as waterfowl habitats along with
its rich resources of genetic diversity. It is
therefore important to survey and record the
biodiversity and bioresource profiles of Chilika,
which has been supporting a population of more
than 2 lakhs of people living in and around Chilika
lagoon. The international scientific community has
felt the need for regular survey of coastal lagoons
of the world since a long time. India signed the
Convention on Biological Diversity on June 5 1992,
ratified it on the February18, 1994 and brought
into force on May 19, 1994. The objective has been
to develop a framework for the sustainable
management and conservation of India's natural
resources, such as Chilika. The lagoon has been
under constant ecological threat due to siltation
and sedimentation, choking of the mouth of the
lagoon into the sea, and too much human
interference. The major problems identified with
the Chilika lagoon are 1. Siltation, 2. Choking of
the outer channel, 3. Shifting of the mouth
northwards, 4. Decrease of salinity, 5.
Eutrophication followed by prolific infestation of
aquatic weeds, 6. Decrease of fish productivity, 7.
Shrinkage of water area, 8. Loss of biodiversity,
and 9. Increase of human interference through
prawn and aquaculture. Owing to the ecological
threats that Chilika is facing, the lagoon has been
added to the Montreux Record on June 16, 1993.
Montreaux record lists wetlands of international
importance, which are already in danger due to
environmental degradation. However, following
successful rehabilitation efforts, Chilika in the