Lok Sabha Question No. 1097 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-02
Subject: Species in Sea
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1097 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, March 02, 2016

## Species in Sea

## 1097.  DR. KIRIT P. SOLANKI:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of endangered species in Indian sea/waters;
- (b) the number of endangered species including Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and whale found dead at various sea shore including Mumbai, species-wise; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to rescue those species?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

(SHRI Y. S. CHOWDARY)

- (a) A  series  of  notifications  has  been  issued  under  the  Wildlife  (Protection)  Act 1972  by  the  Ministry  of  Environment  and  Forests,  Government  of  India,  to safeguard nature and endangered species. As a part of this endeavour, so far 690 areas have been declared protected areas in India including declaration of eighteen biosphere reserves for protection of the entire ecosystems.  So far 885 species of marine fauna belonging to 6 phyla (Porifera, Coelenterata, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata, fishes, reptiles and mammals)  are afforded adequate protection under different categories (Schedules I, II, III, IV) as  their  natural  populations  are  being  depleted  fast.  The  details  are  given  in Table below.

| Faunal group                                           | No. of species   | Schedule of IWPLA, 1972   |
|--------------------------------------------------------|------------------|---------------------------|
| Porifera Calcareous sponges (all species)              | 10               | Schedule III              |
| Coelenterata Reef-building corals (all scleractinians) | 519              | Schedule I                |
| Black corals (all antipatharians)                      | 8                | Schedule I                |
| Organ Pipe Coral (Tubiporamusica)                      | 1                | Schedule I                |
| Fire corals (all Millepora species)                    | 5                | Schedule I                |
| Sea fans (all gorgonians)                              | 86               | Schedule I                |
| Arthropoda                                             |                  |                           |
| Robber Crab                                            | 1                | Schedule I                |
| Horseshoe crabs (Merostomata)                          | 2                | Schedule IV               |
| Mollusca                                               |                  |                           |
| Gastropoda                                             | 20               | Schedule I, IV            |

| Bivalvia                        | 4   | Schedule I, IV   |
|---------------------------------|-----|------------------|
| Echinodermata                   |     |                  |
| Sea cucumber (all Holothuria)   | 163 | Schedule I       |
| Fishes                          |     |                  |
| Elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) | 10  | Schedule I       |
| Sea horses (all syngnathidians) | 23  | Schedule I       |
| Giant Grouper                   | 1   | Schedule I       |
| Reptiles                        |     |                  |
| Marine turtles                  | 5   | Schedule I       |
| Saltwater Crocodile             | 1   | Schedule I       |
| Mammals                         | 26  | Schedules I, II  |
| TOTAL                           | 885 |                  |

With  regards  to  flora,  there  are  no  endangered  plant  species  in  Indian  Sea water,  though  two  seaweed  (Algae)  species  namely  1.  Gelidiella  aerosa (Forssk.) J. Feldman - Gelidiellacebae and 2. Gracilaria edulis (S.Gmel) P.C. Silva -  Gracilariaceae, growing along the Tamil Nadu coast (near Mandapam) which are being exploited for Agar Agar preparation

- (b) There  are  at  least  120  species  of  marine  mammal  found  in  the  world,  and  a fourth  of  these  may  be  found  in  India  and  adjacent  countries.  The  marine mammals, a diverse group are primarily ocean-dwelling or depend on the ocean for  food.  They  include  the  cetaceans  (whales,  dolphins,  and  porpoises),  the sirenians  (manatees  and  dugong),  the  pinnipeds  (true  seals,  eared  seals  and walrus),  several  otters  (the  sea  otter  and  marine  otter)  and  the  polar  bear. There  are  often  vulnerable  or  endangered  due  to  a  history  of  commercial exploitation for blubber, meat. A list of species are annexed.
- (c) Step taken by the Government to intensify wildlife conservation efforts are as follows:
-  Hunting  and  commercial  exploitation  of  wild  animals  included  in  various schedules  of  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  is  prohibited.  Offences committed in respect of these species attract punishment prescribed under the Act.
-  The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been set up to strengthen the enforcement of law for control of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products.
-  Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and covering  important  wildlife  habitats  have  been  created  all  over  the  country under  the  provisions  of  the  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  to  conserve  wild animals and their habitats.
-  Financial  and  technical  assistance  is  provided  to  the  State/Union  Territory Governments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of "Integrated Development  of  Wildlife  Habitats",  "Project  Tiger"  and  "Project  Elephant"  for providing better protection to wildlife and improvement of its habitat.
-  The State/Union Territory Government have been requested to strengthen the field formations and intensify patrolling in and around the Protected Areas.

Annexure:  A  list  of  endangered  marine  animals  with  species  names  are  given below:

1. Rough-toothed dolphin  - Steno bredanensis
2. Indo-Pacific -hump-backed-dolphinhumpback  - Sousa chinensis
3. Indian ocean humpback dolphin - Sousa plumbea
4. Striped dolphin  - Stenella coeruleoalba
5. Pan-tropical spotted dolphin -Stenella attenuata
6. Spinner dolphin - Stenella longirostris
7. Long-beaked common dolphin  - Delphinus delphis
8. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin  - Tursiops aduncus
9. Common bottlenose dolphin  - Tursiops truncatus
10. Fraser's dolphin -  Lagenodelphis hosei
11. Melon-headed whale -  Peponocephala electra
12. Irrawaddy dolphin - Orcaella brevirostris
13. False killer whale - Pseudorca crassidens
14. Killer whale - Orcinus orca
15. Risso's dolphin - Grampus griseus
16. Short-finned pilot whale - Globicephala macrorhynchus Family PHOCOENIDAE - Porpoises
17. Finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides Family PHYSETERIDAE - Sperm Whales
18. Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus
19. Pygmy sperm whale Kogia breviceps
20. Dwarf sperm whale Kogia sima Family ZIPHIIDAE - Beaked Whales
21. Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale Mesoplodon ginkgodens
22. Longman's beaked whale Indopacetus pacificus
23. Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris
24. Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris
25. Deraniyagala's beaked whale Mesoplodon hotaula
26. Suborder MYSTICETI - Baleen Whales Family BALAENOPTERIDAE Rorquals
27. Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae
28. Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus
29. Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni
30. Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus (no confirmed records from India)
31. Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata (possible from around Maldives and Lakshdweep islands)
32. Order SIRENIA Family DUGONGIDAE - Dugong
33. Dugong Dugong dugon