Anthropogenic Effect on the Horseshoe crab Breeding Grounds and their

Population along the North-east Coast of Bay of Bengal, India

Dr. Jayant Kumar MishraDept. of Ocean Studies & Marine Biology

Pondicherry University, India

www.pondiuni.edu.in

IWSCAHC-11jayant64@yahoo.com / jkmishra.omb@pondiuni.edu.in

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Harin bari

Mandir tala

Chemaguri

Cr

Meeti Nala

Tg

Breeding beaches at Sagar Island, Sunder bans

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Chemagudi creek, Eastern side of the Island; mangrove mud

flats; C. rotundicauda.

Meeti Nala; Western side of the island; sandy; T. gigas,

Cohabitation of Indian species in Sunderbans

Chemagudi Creek at Sagar Island, Sunder bans

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Major cause of threat at Meeti Nala, Sagar island

Coastal erosion

Construction of Shore line sea walls

Four pairs encountered 8 nest with 100 – 430 fertilized

eggs

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T. gigas

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Balaramgari

• Major fish landing centre• Tourist destination• Rapid urbanisation

Largest round for T. gigas at Balaramgari

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Total breeding groun now limited to 300-8002 mMajor threat :• erosion• excess human interference• use of creek for harboring & repairing

fishing boats

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Kasafali creek

A freak nesting ground of T. gigas

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Year Average no. of fertilized eggs

Total no. of observations(May to Aug.)

2008 260 08

2009 250 08

2010 200 08

2011 120 03 (May ad June only)

Average no. of nests and no. of eggs at Balaramgari

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Creek at Balaramgari , which is the main stay for T. gigas breeding.

Use of Breeding beaches

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Exploitation of natural resources are need based

Individual – family – society – National -

International

• From individual consumption of horseshoe crab eggs

by sunderbans fisher folks to Restaurants in big cities.

• From traditional healers to LYSATE industries.

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But exploitation of natural breeding zones

(beaches) by different stake holders

influencing the population decline to a great

extent.

Attention may thus be made to protect those

zones instead of sea ranching only.

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Thank you all!

Save my dynasty

from the brink of extinction

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enjoy the rest of the workshop