INNOVATIVE APPROACH IN
WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONCASE OF WATERFOWL
CONSERVATION IN MANGALAJODI
(CHILIKA) WITH PARTICIPATION OF
POACHERS AND HUNTERS-
A POSSIBLE GLOBAL BEST
PRACTICE
SHIBAJI CHARAN NAYAK
WILD ORISSA
Chilika Lake, situated on the east-coast of India, is an estuarine
lagoon, shallow throughout its spread of 1,16,500 ha.
It is the largest brackish water wetland in India
sprawling along the east coast.
On account of its rich bio-diversity, Chilika was designated as a
"Ramsar Site", i.e. a wetland of International Importance, in 1981.
According to historical evidence, Chilika Lake was part of the
Bay of Bengal about 6,000 years ago.
Merchant ships used to travel from Chilika to South East Asia
The Government of India has also identified the lagoon as a
priority site for conservation and management.
Chilika is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl
found anywhere on the Indian sub-continent. Chilika is one of
the hotspot of biodiversity in the country, and some rare,
vulnerable and endangered species listed in the IUCN Red List
of threatened Animals inhabit in the lagoon for atleast part of
their life cycle.
The total number of fish species is reported to be 225. The Lake
region also supports over 350 species of non-aquatic plants. In a
recent phytodiversiy survey 710 number of plants identified
from Chilika (within the water body, including the Islands and
shoreline plants) were recorded.
Some endangered species found in Chilika are:
􀂙 Barkudia insularis, a limb less lizard/skink (this skink is
named after the "Barkuda" island of the lake)
􀂙 Irrawaddy dolphin, Orcaella frevirostris
􀂙 Fishing cat (Felis viverrina)
􀂙 White bellied Sea eagle, Haliaeetus leucogaster
􀂙 White spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia
􀂙 Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
􀂙 Spoon billed sandpiper(Eurynorhynchus pygmeus)
IMPORTANT AREAS FOR BIRDS
Nalabana It is a marshy island covered with reeds famous for
feeding & roosting of large-range of migratory birds in winter.
Birds Island It is heaven for resident and migratory birds. Here
one can watch birds in their natural habitat.
Mangalajodi The marshy areas of Mangalajodi is another
potential feeding & roosting ground of migratory water birds
especially duck species & waders.
MANGALAJODI
• Mangalajodi village is located about 5 km from Tangi in
district Khurda, 60 km from Bhubaneshwar. It is one of the
villages surrounding Chilka Lake. This village is connected to
the northern sector of Chilika Lake and Kalupada Ghat by
way of channels dug through the Phragmites karka reed bed.
The area includes Mangalajodi Ghera. Mangalajodi is primarily
a freshwater zone with marshes, emergent vegetation and reed
beds consisting mostly of Typha and Phragmites karka. There
are aproximatly three hundred families in Mangalajodi village.
The village is under Sundarpur Grampanchayat, of Tangi
Block of Khurda district. The major occupation is fishing in
Mangalajodi, which is mostly done in open Chilika and the
channels connected with the Chilika.
• There are 15 to 20 families in Mangalajodi (titled
Behera) involved in agriculture mainly, while some
fishermen hold small land submerged in water most
of the time of the year. This land is used for
cultivation of peculiar local variety seems to be wet
resistant. There are some families who migrate from
Bengal, collect a plant called ‘Sitali’, locally, and make
traditional fishing nests out of it. Mangalajodi was
found to have tremendous potential as a wildlife
habitat and for becoming an excellent wildlife tourism
spot.
Threats in Mangalajodi
Poaching and illegal trade of birds
Reed Harvesting
Poaching was causing irreparable damage to the avifauna
of Mangalajodi. There were about 80 poachers in the
village, proficient in various techniques of killing birds.
These birds are regularly sold in the open market, at rates
varying from Rs 20/- to Rs. 60/- per bird, depending on the
species and method of killing. The local authorities were
poorly staffed and pursuing the traditional protection
methods.
Each year thousands of migratory waterfowls like, pintails,
bar headed geese, godwit, shell duck, etc. visit and breed in
the wetlands around Mangalajodi village.
Till the year 1996-97, poaching the
birds and their eggs was done for
house hold consumption and
selling in nearby areas. This was
one of the major sources of
income for the poachers.
Moreover, the collection of birds’ eggs and their sale
in the open market was another big problem.
Strict vigil was required to conserve the Mangaljodi
waterfowl breeding habitat, by local participation in the
form of patrolling, educating the masses about bird
conservation and their habitat.
Each year thousands of waterfowls like purple moorhen,
purple heron, egrets, open billed storks, etc. breed in the
wetlands around Mangalajodi village.
Poaching of birds/water fowl in the Chilka Lake had been
going on for hundreds of years, causing irreparable damage
to the avi-fauna of this fragile eco-system.
Different forms of killing had been practised including
use of nets, traps, guns, poisoning, etc.
The method of poisoning employed in these wetlands has
been responsible for maximum deaths as with a little effort
thousands of birds are killed.
WILD ORISSA’s INTERVENTION
Realizing the unabated poaching of waterfowl in Chilika
lake and wild animals in the surrounding forests in
Khurda it launched 2 (two) conservation programs,
viz. the Chilika Bird Protection and Community
Supported Control of Wildlife Poaching programs
during 1996-1997.
Its members had ventured into the village of
Mangalajodi on the northern shores of Chilika Lake
in the year 1996-97.
The initial visits were met with anxiety and expectations,
and coupled with a lot of misgivings there was also a faint
hope that perhaps with sustaining the effort and
perseverance and diligence coupled with a lot of
personal involvement, hunting/poaching in this village
could be brought under control.
Members of Wild Orissa began to talk to the villagers
about the need for protection of birds. The beginning was
difficult but slowly Wild Orissa could manage to involve
persons who were concerned for the birds viz. poachers.
Initially there were serious difficulties but eventually with
the help of enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals
including poachers in the village of Mangalajodi the issue
of waterfowl poaching was discussed and suggestions were
deliberated. During such deliberations the core persons
were the poachers and hunters.
Mr. Nanda Kishore Bhujabal, Governor of the Tangi
Regional Chapter of Wild Orissa, and other members of
Wild Orissa built a rapport with the villagers, especially
poachers.
Wild Orissa members involved themselves in each sad and
happy moments of villager’s life, helped them to solve their
problems, supported them in needs and constantly gave
them realization about impact of bird poaching on village
environment, eco-system balance, benefit of bird
conservation by sitting and discussing constantly.
The most important thing villagers realized was the feeling
of ownership over Chilika birds which weren’t there earlier,
which ultimately resulted in hardship for local people, split
them from resources on which they depend from centuries.
• This long term process of
motivation got success when all
the prominent, ruthless and
important twenty five poachers
from Mangalajodi decided to leave
poaching and formed a committee
for protecting birds, which they
earlier used to kill. During the
early part of year 2000 the local
Divisional Forest Officer Chilika
Wildlife Division Mr. Anoop
Kumar Nayak also invited Wild
Orissa to involve its members in
containing poaching/hunting of
waterfowl in Chilika Lake. The
long associations with these people
of Mangalajodi have stood Wild
Orissa in good stead over the years.
Direct intervention by way of apprehending poachers
operating in the waters of Chilika Lake in and around
Mangalajodi, with prior information on such activities,
alongwith members of Wild Orissa and forest staff.
Monitoring with members of Wild Orissa in the waters,
especially in the poaching prone areas adjoining
Mangalajodi waters, in both motorboats as well as in boats
procured from local sources.
Patrolling with members of Wild Orissa and forest staff,
during odd hours, against poaching of bird eggs.
Holding meetings with the forest staff of Tangi Wildlife
Range and Mangalajodi Section.
Holding of regular meetings with the members of the bird
protection committee of Mangalajodi.
Wild Orissa members engaged in documenting the rich
flora and fauna in and around Mangalajodi
Tackling the problem
Of killing of birds
Using nets, members of
Bird protection
Committee and
Forest staff.
Involvement of school children in boat excursions to the
bird breeding habitats.
Organising competitions on Chilika Lake and its birds,
amongst school children of the area.
Seeking interventions of the Chief Wildlife Warden,
Irrigation Department, Chilika Development Authority,
etc., on the fragile waterfowl breeding habitats.
Ensuring some income generation for the poacher turned
conservationists, which could help mitigate the poor
economic conditions of these people, which would ensure
their continuous involvement in water fowl conservation,
through initiation of an Eco-Tourism Project in
Mangalajodi village in the year 2003.
Eco tourism
Route and area
In Mangalajodi
Chilika.
Recognition
1. The national and regional press and
media widely covered this new
approach and highlighted the same in
many forums
2. The initiative of Wild Orissa became a
subject for research by scientists and
wildlifers
3. National agencies like Bombay Natural
History Society, Chilika Development
Authority, WWF-India, etc. recognized
this effort and multilateral agencies like
ABN AMRO Foundation, Royal Bank
of Scotland, etc. also ensured support
for this initiative
4. Government of Orissa bestowed the
Pakshi Bandhu Award for the 2002 to
the bird protection committee
constituted by Wild Orissa
5. Government of Orissa bestowed the Biju
Patnaik Wildlife Conservation Award 2008
to the bird protection committee
SUCCESS
• These efforts almost completely eliminated bird poaching
here, and some of the ex-hunters have become die-hard
conservationists. Members of bird committee undertook
surveillance and patrolling on their own or with members of
Wild Orissa and forest department in surrounding area of
Chilika to check the bird poaching. The bird protection
committee has also taken help of other villagers in bird
conservation.
• The committee members are also involved in various scientific
projects like bird census, egg monitoring, etc. which educate
them with english names of birds, however the long term
experience of these ex-poachers enable them to identify birds,
their eggs, their behaviour, important bird habitats, which
prove to be very useful contribution for effective conservation
of endangered birds.
CONTD
• The committee members also support and actively
take part in research activities done in Mangalajodi
area; they get involved in yearly bird census, bird
movement monitoring and egg monitoring.
• The initiative has helped to tackle the perenious
problem of poaching of waterfowl in these parts of
Chilika Lake. The containing of poaching has had a
positive fall out of providing a safe haven for
migratory waterfowl. It has helped create a base for
future livelihood generation programs including that
of wildlife tourism/eco-tourism.
CRITICAL ISSUES
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
Critical issues which need to be addressed by all stakeholders
in the coming years
Sustaining alternative sources of livelihood for the erstwhile
poachers and their families
Retaining the core objective of involving the past poachers
and hunters in income generating programs
Mangalajodi happens to extremely sensitive to outside
disturbances, and it is primarily because of the fact that it
was all along cocooned from the external forces that it
continues to be a thriving breeding habitat which needs to be
protected at all costs.
Wild Orissa has been able to identify the some factors which
are/could be detrimental to this patch of the wetland, like
increased human movements leading to disturbances to nest
building and nesting/rearing.
contd
5. Wild Orissa has already taken measures through the members of the bird
protection committee to prevent overuse of these places by visitors.
Instructions have also been given for protection of this site from
outsiders, who unknowingly cause irreparable damage.
6. Wild Orissa has also observed that while monitoring the nests and eggs,
by boats on foot, especially inside the Mangalajodi Ghera area, the
nesting birds would get disturbed, and subsequently the crows (ravens)
swoop on these exposed eggs and devour them. Visits to waterfowl
breeding are not permitted.
7. Increased cattle movement- the dried lakebeds, are browsed upon by
buffaloes and goats, which stamp upon bird nests. In normal
circumstances, this should be a reason to be serious about.
8. Introduction of activities which disturbs the delicate ecological balance
like excessive tourism which will disturb the ecological balance of the
wetland habitat and also lead to overuse of resources
contd
9. Introducing activities in excess of the carrying capacity of
these wetlands viz. eco-tourism
10. Oil spill from motor boats- a number of boats ply in these
waters all the year round by the villagers for fishing as well as
transport. Care should be taken that when eco-tourism takes
place in a bigger manner, then use of eco-friendly modes of
transport should be resorted to
11. The area is prone to ill-directed developmental activities
which would cause demise of this habitat, like well digging,
artificial fish feeding, artificial prawn farming, etc. It is
imperative that only activities should be encouraged, which
don’t cause any harm to this fragile wetland.
CONCLUSION
•A NEW APPROACH AT WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONPRACTICED
•A DEDICATED WILDLIFE BRIGADE CREATED
•WATERFOWL CONSERVATION OCCUPIES
CENTRE STAGE
•ENLARGING OF SOCIAL INTERACTIONS- VISITS
FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE
•A NEW BASE/OPTION/SUBJECT FOR
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
contd
DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS JOIN HANDS IN AN
UNIQUE MOMENT
•ORGANISATION IN NON GOVERNMENTAL SECTOR
•ORGANISATION IN GOVERNMENTAL SECTOR
•POACHERS AND HUNTERS
•LOCAL COMMUNITY
•GOVERNMENT
•INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
•EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
•WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BODIES
contd
•A TRANSPARENT APPROACH TO ISSUES AT GRASS
ROOTS LEVEL
•EMPOWERMENT OF PEOPLE
•SELF BELIEF
•MANGALAJODI- BECOMES A FAMOUS TOURIST
DESTINATION
•A TRULY COMMUNITY LEVEL INCOME
GENERATING PROGRAM PRACTICED AND
SUSTAINED
THANK YOU