Amitabh Bachchan may be bad news for birds & wetlands

Amitabh Bachchan may be the best thing that might have happened to Gujarat tourism, but inviting tourists in droves to birding sites may in fact prove counter productive for conservation of wetlands. That seems to be the essence of how the birding community and foresters feel about promoting tourism as an effective means for conservation of wetlands. Today is World Wetlands Day and the theme this year is Wetlands and Tourism.

Incidentally, this comes close on the heels of Global Birdwatchers' Conference hosted by Gujarat Tourism Department with the stated purpose of promoting wetlands as tourist destinations. Gujarat is known 'the wetland state of India'. 17.56% of Gujarat's total land mass - the highest for any state in the country - is identified as wetland.

Approximately, 40% of all bird species found in the country have been sighted in the state and about 31 sites here host bird population in excess of 20,000.

In fact, flamingo colonies in the Little and Great Rann of Kutch are globally unique to this region.Even as promotion of the state tourism by Bachchan and birding for tourism is welcomed, a word of caution comes from all quarters.

?Unbridled tourism can ruin a wetland, and Nal Sarovar is a classic example of this and Thol is getting worse. Tourism is an important tool in the conservation process but only with effective regulation,? says naturalist and bird watcher Kandarp Katju.Division Forest Officer of Nal PA Patel succinctly sums it up as ?limited tourism?.

?There are fixed areas where tourists are allowed in Nal which is allright. Eco tourism should be promoted,? he said. Veteran avid birdwatcher Lavkumar Khachar in fact scoffs at the idea of promoting tourism at existing wetlands which lack the absolutely basic facilities.

?Promoting tourism in wetlands is like putting a cart before a horse. Nal and Thol are badly managed tourist spots; it would be a disgrace to take tourists there. Our birds also show filth. Wetlands should be conserved for their value, not for tourism,? he stated.

A noted orthinologist requesting anonymity says tourism can certainly be good for conservation but only if the laws are implemented effectively.

"Poachers will not stop if tourists abound in wetlands. In fact, if laws are not implemented properly, poachers will not have to go to the market to sell their kill, they will find consumers right on the spot," he pointed out. However, there seems to be unanimous consensus that tourists' hype about the wetland keeps the waterbody in focus and any attempt to spoil it for commercial purposes is foiled. "The most obvious example is Mahuva's fight for their bandharo against Nirma's cement plant. Because the waterbody was not a popular tourist destination, it even got the environment clearance in the first attempt. It was saved due to the villagers' relentless struggle. Today, can any industrial body try to reclaim space in Nal Sarovar or Thol," Khachar says.

Source:http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_amitabh-bachchan-may-be-bad-news-for-birds-and-wetlands_1645111