CHATTOGRAM: The government has declared the St Martin's island as a marine protected area to save its rich biodiversity and ecosystem.
Eco-warriors have long been demanding such a state measure to protect the ecology of the country's only coral island from destruction.
Illegal infrastructure, businesses related to tourism and footprint of thousands of tourists were having a devastating effect on St Martin's environment.
To this end, a circular, signed by Depok Kumar Chakrabarti, deputy secretary of environment, forest and climate change ministry, was issued on January 04.
The ministry declared 1,743 square kilometre of sea area as 'St Martin's Marine Protected Area' under sections 13(1) and 13(2) of the Wildlife Act-2012.
St Martin's has been decaled as a marine protected area to save the coral, biodiversity and enrich the blue economy and achieve the sustainable development goal (SDG), reads the circular.
Earlier in 1995, the environmental directorate declared St Martin's as an 'ecologically critical area'. A gazette to this end was published on 29 June 1999.
The government directed to stop all types of construction at St Martin's without the approval of the authorities concerned.
But the biodiversity of St Martin's in Cox's Bazar was being destroyed by illegal infrastructure and business-related tourism there.
Unplanned infrastructure has mushroomed in the island to meet the onrush of tourists.
Experts said illegal structures, destruction of mangrove plants, collection of sea shells and stones, unplanned tourism development, visit by tourists and dumping of garbage were threatening the island.
Again, 106 residential hotels, cottages, resorts and restaurants on the island are yet to be removed despite a High Court directive.
Sources said 153 species of seaweed, 66 species of coral, 187 species of oyster, 240 species of fish, 120 species of bird, 29 species of reptile and 29 species of mammal were recorded at St Martin's in 2010.
Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan leader Fazlul Quader Chowdhury says St Martin's is losing its glory to the whims of land-grabbers and polluters.
