'Laws in itself are not enough to save a species'

While the Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India has provided Rs 27 lakh to Bombay Natural History Society BNHS for the giant clam studies in Andaman the Whitley Fund has granted pound70000 Rs 63 lakh for the twoyear programme in Andaman and Nicobar islands on June 13 this year Excerpts from the interview with Deepak Apte Dr Deepak Apte was awarded the Whitley Conservation Award by Shears Foundation for outstanding work in the Marine Protected Areas MPAs of Lakshadweep India in 2008 Pics CourtesyDeepak Apte What are Giant Clams and where are they found in India Giant Clams are the largest living bivalve mollusks that live fixed to a substrate and survive for over 100 years They are extremely vulnerable to climate change If monitored over generations they can be a powerful tool for studying environmental changes Ten species of giant clams are known worldwide of which in India two species are found in Lakshadweep and five in the islands of Andaman and Nicobar Three of them are in the Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act Tell us about the Giant Clams in Lakshadweep For the past nine years I have been conserving the Giant Clams in Lakshadweep I was awarded the Whitley Conservation Award by Shears Foundation for trying a new model of Marine Protected Areas MPAs in Lakshadweep India in 2008 In some islands of Lakshadweep the giant clam population is so low that unless reintroduction is done these can undergo extinction I have been monitoring their erratic breeding patterns and mortality rates Each clam releases about 300500 million eggs and sperms At least 2060 adult clams per hectare are required to have a recruitment of 15 juveniles per hect The Agatti island has the highest density being 21063 clamsha increasing to 27414 clamsha from 2004 to 2012 Amini on other hand has the lowest density of 2084 clamsha declining to 1366 clamsha What work has been done so far to protect them For the first time in marine conservation in India I have tried introducing comanagement concept through the proposed Agatti Conservation Reserve by involving locals to work alongside officials In 2003 when we started the project here we first understood what the locals think about the species With over 80 per cent literate explaining science of conservation was not difficult A set of recommendations have been prepared through the Agatti Conservation Reserve management plan on how they wish to conserve their coral reefs and improve their livelihoods What gaps did you find in the law During the legal consultations and boundary deliniation process however major gapsambiguities in the Wildlife Protection Act played a major role in derailing the experiment of comanagement Due to the way in which 36 A 2 and 36 C 2 under clauses 27 4 and 33 b amp c are interpreted is a major hinderence to declare conservation reserve Section 33 leaves control of management of the protected area entirely with the chief wildlife warden making comanagement concept redundant The Agatti Conservation Reserve proposal thus rests with the administrationu00a0 How did this grant come about I got my first grant five years ago for my work in Lakshadweep The Whitley Fund for Nature does not support a cause as a onetime exercise They recognise you as a leader in the particular field of research and conservation Thus through its alumnifunding they offer longterm support for new and innovative ideas What is the reason for their endangered status Habitat degradation climate change and trade for souvenirs Volume of giant clam trade in India is very small and the origin of specimens is not certain It is primarily attributed to reef degradation and unscientific lagoon and reef management What laws are in place for Giant Clams Is it enough The Giant Clams are in the Schedule 1 of Wildlife Protection Act but this is of no use unless the species recovery plan prepared by Bombay Natural History Society BNHS is implemented We have to work with local communities and educate them Turn them into partners in the conservation What do you hope to achieve with this twoyear programme There is no information on the Giant Clam populations from Andaman and Nicobar islands The work is on to expand our understanding and research gather more information on the species here and collect data on their population and strengthen the giant clam species recovery plan