- According to a recent study,Coral cover protection along the existing protected marine areas in Andaman and Nicobar islands is necessary for the conservation of the Bumphead parrotfish,a species of fish.The findings suggested the necessity to ban night fishing for the species and to implement regulations regarding reef fishing.
- Bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) is an important component of coral reef ecosystem.It is categorized as ‘vulnerable’ in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- The fish is threatened due to limited knowledge about its distribution and abundance in Indian waters.
- Bumphead Parrotfish are an easy target for spear-fishers due to its large body size,aggregating behaviour and limited activity at night.Further, slow growth and low replacement rates have resulted in population declines across the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea regions.
- Coral reefs are large underwater structures composed of the skeletons of coral,which are marine invertebrates animals.Coral Reefs are also called the “rainforests of the sea”.The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world.It is the first coral reef ecosystem to be awarded Unesco World Heritage Status.
