We must not only protect but also regenerate underwater resources: Dr. Ashok Khosla

PUNE: Dr. Khosala speaking during a webinar on ‘Indo-Pacific Strategic Space and Sustainable Blue Frontiers – A New Perspective based on the ‘Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) Framework’ organized by Maritime Research Centre (MCR) in collaboration with M/S NirDhwani Technology Pvt Ltd.

Vice Admiral Anurag Thaplial, Former DG, Indian coast Guard, Prof. Tamaki Ura, Tokyo University, Dr (Cdr) Arnab Das, Founder & Director MRC, Pune and Praful Talera, Advisor, MRC were present during the discussion.

“There are major strategic, economic, environmental, and scientific concerns related to oceans that we need to address. Oceans connect us all through ecological and economic routes and provide us with minerals, materials, and energy sources, but we are facing several crises including population growth, pollution, and climate change, with our fish resources being exhausted and the fisheries over-exploited. The ocean has become a sink of waste and plastic trash, coral bleaching with the invasion of unwanted species. We have to focus more on the regeneration of our underwater resources besides their protection,” said Dr. Ashok Khosla, Former President, IUCN.

“For a sustainable future, we have to bring the economy, ecosystem, and people in a single framework. Scientifically, we need to understand how to regenerate corals, seaweeds, and microalgae, which can be our source for energy needs, nutrition, oils, and minerals in the future. We have to improve our governance towards oceans and shift from linear economy to circular economy,” Khosla added.

Prof. Tamaki Ura while giving a presentation on the research work conducted by the Japanese scientists on long term monitoring of Ganges river dolphins at Karnabas in UP stated, “There are platforms for UDA for research including surface vessel, submarine, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and Observatories connected to the subsea cable network. We need to carry out a detailed survey on the dolphins of the Ganges and the Indian Ocean. It is essential for India to propose specific and concrete joint research contents to the Japanese government.”

Vice Admiral Anurag Thaplial said, “Sea is free of restrictions and is used as a transit source. But policymakers don’t understand its importance and it is not policed. It requires new methods of security and for that, the government has to work in collaboration with the maritime industry.  We must develop relations with the Japanese coast guards and understand each other’s operating procedures and focus on areas of benefit to both forces which include Search and Rescue (SAR), training and capacity-building and maritime law enforcement, and tackle Chinese intrusion in the Indian Ocean.”

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February 25, 2021