The Balochistan government on Wednesday approved Churna Island as a designated Marine Protected Area (MPA), the second in Pakistan, according to a press release by the World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P).

Churna is an island in the Arabian Sea, located around 6.8 km northwest of Mubarak Village. According to the press release, the provincial government had declared Astola Island as the first MPA in June 2017.

The non-governmental organisation appreciated the Balochistan government’s efforts in securing this designation, while also lauding Secretary Forest and Wildlife Department Dostain Jamaldini and Chief Conservator Wildlife Sharifuddin Baloch for playing a role in the process.

Churna Island, like Astola Island, is among the limited marine areas in Pakistan that have coral habitats and are termed a biodiversity hotspot.

“However, Churna Island, located near Karachi, is being extensively used for scuba diving, snorkelling, cliff jumping, jet skiing, and other recreational activities.

“It is considered an important fishing ground where a large number of fishermen from Sindh and Balochistan operate,” the press release noted.

The marine ecosystem and diverse wildlife inhabiting Churna Island are under serious threat due to many anthropogenic activities including the development of power plants, single-point mooring, an oil refinery in the immediate vicinity, as well as recreational activities that are conducted in the area, the press release said.

“WWF-P believes that declaration of Churna Island as an MPA is an important step towards ensuring that the fragile ecosystem of the area is protected.”

Per WWF-P’s press release, Pakistan is a signatory of the Convention on Biological Diversity. According to its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, states are required to declare 30 per cent of the ocean area as a protected area by 2030 (called 30 x 30).

Commenting on this declaration, Rab Nawaz, Senior Director, Biodiversity Programmes, WWF-P, appealed to both the federal and Sindh governments to take decisive actions to achieve the target of 30 x 30 by following the footsteps of the Government of Balochistan and declaring additional Marine Protected Areas in Pakistan, the press release said.

Nawaz further said that because of poorly planned development activities and climate change, we are losing our marine resources.

“This initiative will help reverse the damage caused to marine ecosystems and would protect marine life for future generations”, the press release quoted him as saying.

WWF-P’s Technical Advisor Muhammad Moazzam Khan pointed out that Churna Island is a biodiversity hotspot known for more than 50 species of corals and 250 species of fish as well as many invertebrates and vertebrates.

The declaration of Churna Island as an MPA will address the challenge of biodiversity loss and help protect the threatened species reported from this area, Iit added.