Kerala woman appraises UN Assembly on need to protect marine diversity

Lisba Yesudas, from Thiruvananthapuram, addressed the UN General Assembly She appraised the Assembly on the need to document marine protected areas in India The delegation proposed governments to levy 'blue tax' and 'blue benefits' 

Lisba Yesudas, a researcher hailing from Pulluvila, a local fishing hamlet near Thiruvananthapuram, addressed the UN General Assembly during the concluding session of International Ocean Conference (IOC). 

Lisba, an associate professor in Malayalam at St Xaviers College in Thumba was part of a three-member delegation from Kerala representing Friends of Marine Life (FML), a non-governmental organisation. The delegation also includes Robert Panippilla from Valiyathura and James Jament from Poonthura. 

Lisba is pursuing her doctorate on the oral tradition of coastal areas in South Travancore. 

As many as 112 NGO's are attending the IOC which aims to enhance conservation and sustainable use of oceans and its resources. 

The IOC, held from June 5 to 9 in New York, also enlisted FML among the few organisations that could attend the Assembly.

"Studies on marine biodiversity has not given much attention to lives of fishermen. Application of new technologies with a limited understanding of seabed ecosystem has led to commercialisation of fish industry. This has encouraged unreported, unregulated and illegal fishing practices which are actually destroying our marine diversity," she said. 

Lisba appraised the Assembly on the need to document marine protected areas in India and said only one percent has been identified yet. 

The delegation proposed governments to levy 'blue tax' from those who practice destructive fishing and to give 'blue benefits' to those who practice sustainable fishing.