SOME PROBLEMS AND ISSUES OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF MANGROVE ECOSYSTEMS OF TAMIL NADU, INDIA
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Abstract
Mangrove forests, which are found along a substantial portion of the
coastlines in the tropics, are fast disappearing by reclamation for aquaculture,
farming, residential and industrial development and non-sustainable
harvesting of timber. They play an important role in supporting tropical
estuarine and coastal food webs, by providing a major source of organic
material and acting as nursery grounds and habitats for commercially
important fish species. For a variety of reasons relating to human activities,
large areas of mangrove forests are being lost or threatened with disruption.
Mangrove, a tidal wetland, is a good example of complex land and water
system whose resource attributes· is neither fully understood from an
ecological perspective nor valued comprehensively in economic terms. With
increased ecological and social perception of the functions of wetlands, the
utility and relative values will increase. The perception, however, varies
from society to society. It must be recognized that mangrove forests differ
greatly in local conditions and in their ability to produce a wide variety of
economic products. What may be highly productive strategy for one country
may have little meaning to its neighbour. Therefore, it becomes essential
that from among diversity of potential uses of the mangrove environment,
specific uses will have to be decided, and management plan developed on
site, or area specific basis.
It is therefore necessary to arrive at a balance between the views of the
ecologists and economists on the management of mangroves. Biological
conservation should encompass resource management in the sense that
integrity of the biological and physical attributes of the resource base should
be sustained and man-induced management practices should not alter an
ecosystem to the extent that biological production is eliminated. Sustained
yield management for food, fiber and fuel would serve to sustain local fisheries
while generating new economic enterprises. This requires the recognition of
mangrove environment as a resource with economic value, and managed
according to local conditions and national priorities.
Keywords: Mangrove ecosystem, Sustainable Management