Field staff of Forest department to be sensitised to best practices in marine conservation

Enhancing the technical skills of field-level Forest department staff in coastal ecosystem restoration and rescue and rehabilitation of endangered marine species such as dugongs and sea turtles are the aims of the five-day workshop on Coastal Ecosystems, Sea Turtle and Dugong Conservation Techniques which got under way in Pudukottai on Monday

Enhancing the technical skills of field-level Forest department staff in coastal ecosystem restoration and rescue and rehabilitation of endangered marine species such as dugongs and sea turtles are the aims of the five-day workshop on Coastal Ecosystems, Sea Turtle and Dugong Conservation Techniques which got under way in Pudukottai on Monday.

A total of 31 Forest Range Officers and Foresters from various divisions across the State are attending the workshop organised jointly by the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response and the OMCAR Foundation.

The workshop will feature sessions by experts in marine biology, restoration ecology and conservation management.  On the first day on Monday, A. Periyasamy, Chief Conservator of Forests, Tiruchi Circle, explained to the participants the importance of coastal ecosystem conservation. Dr. K. Kathiresan, former Dean and Director, CAS in Marine Biology, Parangipettai, explained the importance of continuous monitoring and strengthening marine protected areas. 

Muhammed Shabab, Conservator of Forest and Project Director, TBGPCCR, Chennai, shared his thoughts on the blue economy and technologies in coastal protection and restoration.  District Forest Officer of Pudukottai S. Ganeshlingam and OMCAR Foundation director V. Balaji delivered the keynote address.

The participants will be exposed to core concepts, practical challenges, and best practices in marine conservation during the two-day classroom-based training. On the third day, the participants will travel to the Muthupet Reserve Forest in Tiruvarur district to receive hands-on training in mangrove mapping, restoration techniques, and eco-friendly nursery establishment.

The participants will be taken to Velivayal in Thanjavur district to participate in a dugong rescue and release simulation drill followed by an interaction with local fishermen who rescued dugongs in the Dugong Conservation Reserve. 

On the fourth day, the focus will be on seagrass habitat restoration where the participants will learn about bamboo eco-friendly restoration techniques, suitable species selection, ecological monitoring, and community-based conservation models. They would be trained in drone image photogrammetry and GIS mapping for identifying and monitoring restoration sites.