Churna Island: The Second Marine Protected Area in Pakistan
In a bid to preserve another biodiversity spot, the Balochistan government declared Churna Island a marine protected area (MPA). There are limited marine areas in Pakistan; hence, their preservation is crucial. Aside from Churna Island, the only other MPA in Pakistan is Astola Island. Astola Island was declared as the first MPA in June 2017.
It is located in the Arabian Sea, near Mubarak Goth, Kiamari town, some 40 kilometres from Karachi’s commercial hub. Churna Island is a biodiversity hotspot, rich in coral habitat, mudflat, and oyster reefs. The island is a feeding spot for baleen whales, whale sharks, mobulidae, and sunfish.
However, the island’s coral habitat has suffered in the past few years due to increasing unregulated anthropogenic activities, including scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and emissions from coal power plants, notwithstanding the 500m oil spill hitting the island’s coral habitat in 2018. The final nail in the coffin was the evidence of coral bleaching in the waters in 2022. Thus, declaring the island an MPA is a commendable move for marine conservation.
However, while marine conservation is vital to combat climate change and preserve the environment, the sustainability aspect of the move must also be considered. Marine conservation does not necessarily have to happen at the cost of the livelihoods of the thousands of local fishermen and communities relying on the marine resources of Churna Island. It also paves the path for sustainable marine tourism. In this op-ed, I shall highlight the possibility of sustainable marine tourism in the context of Churna Island and the attention to the economic needs of the local communities surrounding the island.
Sustainable Tourism
Pakistan was declared the best-performing tourist destination in 2023 post-pandemic. The country was visited by nearly 100,000 foreign tourists in 2023, helping the country earn 1.3 billion dollars in foreign exchange revenue. However, for a country with a coastline of 990 kilometres and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extending up to 290,000 square kilometres, the possibility of sustainable marine tourism is largely unexplored.
Churna Island, which attracts thousands of visitors annually, has the potential to be a sustainable marine tourist spot. The first step was taken soon after the oil spill in 2018 when the government restricted scuba-diving on the island and required the tour operators to obtain NOC from the government and submit eco-friendly plans. However, it was not enough.
One way of contributing to Churna Island’s sustainability is by allowing a small number of people at once, collecting the fee from them, and reinvesting the amount into the island’s habitat conservation. The government could also designate no-go zones where it fears the impact of human activities on the island’s habitat more and has an area designated for scuba diving/snorkeling.
This way, most of the area surrounding the island can be protected from human activities while ensuring the beauty of the island is made accessible. Costa Rica does this with its national parks. The efforts could be strengthened by educating tour operators and instructors and encouraging them to form a rapport with the visitors, inspiring them to manage waste responsibly, and enforcing rules that prevent touching marine life, e.g., fish and corals.
The traditional passenger boats and those used by fishermen for fishing purposes could be replaced with solar-powered boats to prevent environmental hazards and ensure coral preservation. Sustainable tourism on Churna Island could open a large revenue stream. The restricted access to the island can make it a premium adventure spot, for which high fees can be paid.
Livelihood for the Local Communities
Churna Island is considered an important fishing ground where a large number of fishermen catch fish. The local fishermen from Sindh and Balochistan will be affected by the declaration of MPATheir catch size will reduce and so will their income. One way to solve this issue is to integrate them, and other locals who benefitted from the tourism of Churna island into the sustainable tourism project (let’s call it that for the purpose of this op-ed).
The fishermen could be trained to adopt aquaculture, which is a fresh concept in the fishing industry of Pakistan and is practiced in ponds. The government could utilize this opportunity and incentivize aquaculture, especially carp fishing. This would not only increase the scope of livelihood for the fishermen but also advance the fishing industry, which only contributes to less than 1 percent of Pakistan’s gross domestic product. However, this is a long-term investment in the fishing industry, although the more fruitful one.
The locals could also be trained to become tour instructors, waste-management supervisors, conservation supervisors, boat riders, and guides who could educate visitors about marine life. However, this is only possible if the government makes it a point to develop and advance sustainable marine tourism along the coast. Alternatively, the government could grant micro loans or subsidies to the fishermen to help them transition into another profession.
Conclusive Thoughts
With the declaration of Churna Island as an MPA, there should be more discourse surrounding sustainable marine tourism, since that is the future. These moves, while commendable, need to be well thought-out with respect to the local stakeholders who are often left behind in the process of advancement and progress. The local fishermen are not a liability but an asset if integrated into the system wisely.
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Noorulain Shaikh graduated with an LLB (Hons.) degree from the University of London. She is keen on geographical, sociopolitical, and legal aspects of world affairs. She is a published author of articles concerning international law and regional policy affairs.