Zooming in on marine wealth
While Delhi lacks the refreshing underwater retreats, Delhi’ites caught a glimpse of the vast marine wealth of the nation through a photography exhibition titled, Follow the Tide: India’s Waters, Coastal People and the Need For Conservation, held at India International Centre, Annexe recently.
Organised by NGO, Greenpeace, as a part of its Oceans campaign, the six-day exhibition displayed works of both national and international artists and illustrated the biological diversity of our underground waters and its destruction through photographs.
Various photographers including Emmy award winner, filmmaker and diver Gavin Newman, Ronny Sen, Piyush Sekhsaria, and Sudhanshu Malhotra shot the photographs that focused on the underwater marine life. The exhibition aimed to focus on the social impact of the marine disturbances on fishermen’s lives and the economic losses caused by over-fishing and illegal fishing. “We have tried to focus on various facets of India's oceans through pictures of fishing communities along the coast, their social and economic realities and instances of illegal fishing in Indian seas,” said Sudhanshu Malhotra, one of the photographers.
Expressing their concern for our rich marine life, adman Prahlad Kakkar, actress and social activist Nafisa Ali, and danseuse Sonal Mansingh were present at the inaugural ceremony of the exhibition. “Illegal fishing is one of the major threats to our rich biodiversity. There is no efficient regulatory authority to monitor the illegal trade of our marine life,” said Kakkar.
This event coincided with the release of a report that proposes potential marine reserves in “Indian exclusive economic zone”, and urges the government of India to take a proactive stand on ocean issue at the upcoming convention on biological diversity happening in Hyderabad in October. “Having chosen marine biodiversity as a key theme for the convention on biological diversity, it provides an opportunity for India to emerge as a champion for coastal communities and sustainable use of coastal resources,” said Areeba Hamid, oceans campaigner, Greenpeace.
Suchita Mehta, another campaigner from Greenpeace added, “Our campaign sets out to preserve our oceans now and for the future. We have tried to showcase the richness of the oceans in India, the beauty of its natural contents, and the importance of preserving it.”
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