Research and wildlife

Photo: Azizur Rahim peu / driknews

Years have lapsed since we spoke against the Aerial Seismic Survey in the Sundarbans that was envisioned by Shell Company in September 2003. Now it's Chevron's turn to take steps to conduct Aerial Seismic survey (ASS) in Lawachhara forest and in addition we hear there will be small charges of seismic explosives (biodegradable they claim). Lawachhara is a forest very rich in flora and fauna. Our concern is why are we heading for this survey in the first place? If a better prospect of gas is found in the area, will the next step be to start digging up the forest to claim the gas fields? In the past during the BNP government, the pipeline was laid through the Lawachhara forests and announced when it was nearing completion. Can our forest department or for that matter MoEF take decisions without public opinion? The first lesson in democracy tells us to seek public opinion for state owned property.
To quote a director of Chevron “The source…… will leave extremely low impact on environment”. Can we define how low? Can one ensure that the animals of the area will not leave their habitats, with the charges from the seismic explosives? Will not the most sensitive animals and insects in the area get exterminated?
Bangladesh has suddenly become a centre of attraction for researchers, but behold the researchers who are mostly PhD students either doing their thesis or have just completed it and are trying out Bangladesh as a guinea pig. The collaring of the tigers in the Sundarbans is an example. The Sundarbans is a very difficult yet a unique terrain. The Royal Bengal Tigers have adapted themselves to this unnatural habitat not out of choice, rather a geological contraption. Treading through the pneumataphores and crossing creeks and canals are already a hard task, wearing a collar (however small) and getting used to the foreign body is even more difficult.
Getting permission for above foreign researches is an easy task in Bangladesh. We wonder if they tried their luck in the Indian Sundarbans. For that matter it would be interesting to know if Mr. Karanth has tried collaring tigers in the Indian part of the Sundarbans.
It was once known that every forest in Bangladesh was a habitat of the tigers but now it exists only in the Sundarbans. Bangladesh cannot afford to risk the only habitat of the tigers to unabated research even if it means 2%. We may lose more tigers while we continue to debate over the side effects of Telazol. The tiger has been declared by IUCN as a critically endangered animal. If we are to save the tigers of Sundarbans, the forest department needs judicious planning since it will also be protecting the largest ecosystem and mangrove site of the world.
Lawachhara and the Sundarbans littoral forests are heritage sites in Bangladesh and nothing should stop the environment activists and conservationists to voice their concern over and commitment to the matter.