Govt aware of depletion of fish habitats & coral reefs: Agri Min

The government is aware of depletion of fish habitats and coral reefs in coastal regions, Minister of State for Agriculture Parshottam Rupala informed Parliament on Tuesday.

"Research analysis has clearly identified the decline in the coral reefs due to the anthropogenic and climatic stressors. The latter factor is increasingly causing bleaching events in recent years," Rupala said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Decline in fish habitats due to lack of proper solid waste management, especially non-degradable waste, has been brought to the notice of the local governments through frequent awareness programmes in different states, he said.

Apart from this, the national conference on 'Marine Debris' in April 2018 has highlighted the need for policy development which has been widely circulated, he added.

Further, the minister said Cochin-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) is extending technical consultancy to state fisheries departments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Gujarat for installation of artificial fish habitats.