Sea levels have nothing to do with disappearing islands between Indian and Sri Lanka

Tennessee Daily Saturday 14th May, 2011

Two small islets in the first marine biosphere reserve in South Asia have sunk beneath the waves, primarily due to coral mining, say experts, who are trying to sound the alarm on a serious problem.

The two small islands, which each rose just 3 to 5 metres above sea level, were part of a group in the Gulf of Mannar, between India and Sri Lanka, which make up the 560 square-kilometre (216 square mile) Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park.

The islands have now disappeared due to indiscriminate coral mining by fisherman, which have also destroyed the sensitive eco-systems around the islands of Poomarichan and Villanguchalli.

“The absence of any regulations prior to 2002 led to illegal mining of the coral reefs, which came to an end when environmental protection laws were enacted,” S Balaji, chief conservator of forests and wildlife for that region of Tamil Nadu state in India, told the BBC.

Mr Balaji is also the director of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust and he has warned that the disappearance of the two islands is an example of the long-term danger many similar small islands face if action is not taken to protect them.

Some 3,600 species of flora and fauna rely on the reserve, while endangered marine animals, such as turtles, rely on the gulf for food and shelter. The mass disappearance of small islands such as Poomarichan and Villanguchalli would have a crippling impact.

The problem, both political and socio-economic, is that 300,000 fishermen also rely on the area for their livelihoods and the gulf’s coral is sought after as a binding agent in the construction sector.