CAPE Monze is known as Ras Mauri, which stretches from Mubarak village to Yousuf Goth near Nathiagali beach. It is located along the shore of the Arabian Sea.

The land belongs to the Sindh revenue department. It has beautiful rocks and beaches which have natural resources like seaweeds, shells, oysters, coral, etc. It is a habitat of endangered species like whale, dolphin and turtle.

Cape Monze provides these rare species a natural environment and food. Turtles eat seaweeds and oysters, while jellyfish, crabs and lobster also feed on seaweeds. There is large quantity of seaweeds and oysters. Whale eats small fish apart from squid, krill, crab larvae, ghost shrimp and small bait fish such as capelin.

There are fish nurseries. There are many sandy beaches where turtles come for hatching. Dogs and birds are destroying (eating) turtle eggs because there is no protection plan to keep turtle eggs safe.

The Sindh government should take measures to protect these rare species under the marine protected area (MPA) policy. MPAs are protected areas of seas and oceans. MPAs restrict human activity for conservation purposes, typically to protect natural or cultural resources.

Such MPAs must be established to protect ecosystems and preserve cultural resources such as sustain fisheries production. MPAs are particularly important because they also provide opportunities to people to study marine plants and animals.

The world is adopting policies regarding the protection of marine life under the MPAs. But our government has no plan to take such measures. We have been destroying our natural resources owing to lack of policy.

The Sindh government should declare Cape Monze an MPA.

Sarfraz Haroon

Mubarak village, Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2017