The New Nation - Internet Edition

AS reported in the print media, wildlife in the areas declared 'ecologically critical' remain threatened because of indiscriminate exploitation and pollution of natural resources. People are still unaware of restriction on movement to and from the eight critical areas including Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Beach, St. Martin's Island and the Sundarbans as the government under the Environment Conservation Act of 1995 declared them 'critical areas' needing to preserve ecology and biodiversity. A project is on in four out of eight such areas in cooperation with UNDP-Global Environment Facility, but indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources is continuing in those places. The Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Beach, the world's longest, is the habitat of around 200 types of local and 81 species of migratory birds including threatened ones. St. Martin's Island is country's only coral island, which has about 153 varieties of fauna, 157 varieties of mangrove, 66 kinds of coral, 187 types of bivalves, 240 types of marine fish and other marine lives.

According to scientists and experts, such ecologically critical areas are the habitats of many species that are considered either threatened or rare. Tree felling, fishing, disturbing and polluting activities in the natural habitats of wildlife are continuing indiscriminately though the Environment Conservation Act strictly prohibits such activities. Experts say, there are many other places which should also be declared critical areas, but it is not possible for the shortage of resources to at least implement the provisions of the Environment Conservation Act.