- Bar Reef
The Bar Reef is a system of
coral reef s just offshore fromSri Lanka 'sKalpitiya peninsula. It has the greatestbiodiversity of any coral reef in the waters aroundIndia and is one of the fewpristine coral reef systems in Sri Lanka.It is a complex of reefs which stretch parallel to the coast from the northern end of the Kalpitiya peninsula to the islands which separate
Portugal Bay from theGulf of Mannar .It has high ecological, biological and aesthetic significance, being home to 156 species of coral and 283 species of fish.The Bar Reef was declared a marine sanctuary in
1992 , the area of the reserve being 306.7square km .Bar Reef Coastal Resources Management Project
For many years there was hardly any management of the Bar Reef and it was under threat both from natural enemies, (
crown-of-thorns starfish ,coastal erosion andsedimentation ) as well as from human activity.In
1999 , theAsian Development Bank (ADB) decided to fund a Coastal Resources Management Project (CRMP) in Sri Lanka, to establish integrated management ofcoastal resources in order to improve theirsustainability by addressing the problems of coastal erosion,pollution , unmanaged fishing, over-exploitation of resources and poverty in the coastal areas.The Bar Reef was declared part of a Special Management Area (SAM) composed of the northern part of the Kalpitiya peninsula and the islands in Portugal Bay; all areas where human activity impinges directly on the welfare of the reef ecosystem.
The threats to the ecosystem of the Bar Reef were identified as over-exploitation of fish resources (there is an observable decline in the number of fish), unsuitable fishing methods (such as deep purse-seining, which damage the coral and deplete fish resources) and pollution from human activities (prawn farms and agriculture).
References
* [http://www.adb.org/Documents/RRPs/SRI/rrp-R15496.pdf ADB's proposal for a Coastal Resource Management Project in Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.sarid.net/sarid-archives/03/031219-bar-reef-management.htm Vinod Moonesinghe, 'The Bar Reef Special Management Area Plan', "SARID"]
* [http://www.elaw.org/resources/text.asp?ID=687 Priya Monagurusamy and Asha Dhanasiri, 'Coral Reefs at Risk', "Environmental Law Foundation"]
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