More than half of the endemic freshwater biodiversity in the Kerala region of the Western Ghats could be inching towards extinction in habitats outside protected areas, a recent study by an expert group has revealed. The study published in the latest issue of Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems , an international journal, found that around 130 species of freshwater-dependent species including fish, amphibians, crabs, shrimps and odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) were endemic to the region, with 33 species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. More than half of the 130 species were not represented in the Protected Area (PA) network of the State. Collaborative effort The paper, a collaborative effort of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kerala Forest Research Institute, Kerala Agricultural University, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, showed that the distribution of 12 endemic and threatened species including 10 fish, one amphibian and one shrimp also fell wholly outside the PA network comprising wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and biosphere reserves. Odonates and freshwater shrimps had the fewest endemic species represented inside the protected areas of the State. Double PA area’ The scientists who are part of the study team feel that Kerala will have to nearly double the area of the current PA network by widening the extent of existing PAs or creating new ones, especially targeting areas that are significant for biodiversity. Protected areas in the Kerala region of the Western Ghats also need to be managed exclusively for freshwater biodiversity to prevent extinction of species, said Rajeev Raghavan of KUFOS, the lead author of the paper. A. Biju Kumar, Head, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, and a co-author of the paper points out that conservation efforts by the government had failed to address the issue despite the drastic impact of human activities and natural disturbances on freshwater ecosystems of the Western Ghats. Multiple threats The paper notes that native freshwater biodiversity inside protected areas was exposed to multiple threats like invasive alien species, damming of rivers and infectious diseases. Although 62 endemic freshwater species occur inside the PA network, they are rarely subject to species- specific management or monitoring plans, it observes.
2016, The Hindu