The major oil polluting incident happened on December 9, last year. The incident arose when oil tanker Southern Star 7 sank when the tanker collided with a cargo vessel near the port of Mongla, in the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh. The cause of the collision was said to be due to heavy fog.
The area affected is one of the world’s largest mangrove ecosystems. At greatest risk are avifauna (animals which depend on the water) including migratory birds, the dolphins, otters, Olive Ridley Turtles and crocodiles. The region is home to rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins. Bangladesh set up sanctuaries in the Sundarbans in 2011 after studies showed that there were hundreds of endangered Irrawaddy and Ganges river dolphins there.
Sunderbans forest, which covers 26,000 square kilometers in India and Bangladesh, is also the habitat of famous Royal Bengal Tigers. The name Sundarban can be literally translated as “beautiful forest” in the Bengali language (Shundor, “beautiful” and bon, “forest”).
The incident requires specialist teams to work on preserving and protecting the mangroves and the wildlife. This is why WorldFish are getting involved. WorldFish is an international, non-profit research organization that harnesses the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to reduce hunger and poverty.
The main type of fish in the area hilsa fish. This fish is vital for the economy and as a source of food for the local population. The fish is popular food amongst the people of South Asia and in the Middle East, but especially with Bengalis, and it is the national fish of Bangladesh. Bengali fish curry is a popular dish made with mustard oil or seed.
WorldFish is supporting the Sunderbans clean-up as part of the ECOFISH Bangladesh (Enhanced Coastal Fisheries) project. ECOFISH is aimed at conserving stocks of the national fish of Bangladesh and also developing the communities reliant on the fisheries for income and nutrition.
Craig Meisner, Country Director, WorldFish told Digital Journal that: “Hilsa migratory routes and breeding grounds in the Bay of Bengal are already under threat from pollution, silting and climate change. We will work with partners and local communities to ensure that the effects of this spill can be minimized for fishers dependent on this and all other aquatic resources in the affected region.”
The focus is on improving the resilience and governance of specific areas in the Ganges and Meghna River estuarine ecosystems. These are vital areas for the continuation of of hilsa fisheries.
Meanwhile, as relief efforts continue the Bangladeshi Ministry of Shipping and the Forest Department is seeking compensation for the incident.
