Summary/History
India has a extensive coastline with the Indian Ocean of 8,118 km with an EEZ of 2.02 mn sq km and continental shelf area of 468,000 sq km, spread across 10 coastal Indian states and seven Union Territories. The marine ecosystem of India is extremely diverse and includes near shore areas, gulf waters, tidal flats, mudflats, coastal dunes, mangroves, marshes, wetlands, seaweed and seagrass bed, deltaic plains, estuaries, lagoons and coral reefs. The islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep are considered to be marine biodiversity hotspots, where large numbers of endemic flora and fauna exist. Nearly 75 species of seabirds are found in the marine environment of India, a few species of marine terns breed in huge numbers on some islands, like Vengurla Rocks (Burnt Island on Maharashtra coast), Pitti Island in Lakshadweep and Adam's Bridge between India and Sri Lanka. Studies on individual species have not been undertaken in India and there is a need for systematic studies to document their diversity and breeding status. However some work has been carried out, a study conducted by Madras Naturalist Society (1991) surveyed the number of breeding terns at the Pitti Island in Lakshadweep and since then several surveys of seabird populations have been undertaken on different islands. Recently J.Praveen and team (since 2010) and M.Shivashankar and team (since 2011) have started pelagic bird watching trips to the Arabian Sea in Indian Ocean territories which are organized with the help of various government departments and funded by birdwatchers. The trips have provided good records of pelagic birds such as shearwaters, skuas, boobies and petrels in the Indian Ocean territories. A workshop about the Marine IBA programme in India was held in 2010 at Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai which focused on the development of strategy for identification of Marine IBAs in India. The Marine IBA project of India is funded by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), UK. In liaison with the marine biologists, Bombay Natural History Society has identified five Marine IBAs in India:
o Pitti Island, Lakshadweep Islands which is important for breeding and migratory populations of many marine terns. Pitti island was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 2000
o Beleapani Reef, Lakshadweep Islands which is particularly important for the sooty tern.
o Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu which supports a large abundance and diversity of seabirds and waders. The Gulf of Mannar was declared as a biosphere Reserve in 1989
o Point Calimere, Palk Strait, Tamil Nadu which is an important wintering ground for thousands of migratory terns, gulls and waders including waterfowl and supports a good population of the Lesser Flamingo (NT). There have also been reports of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (CR) being present in this area. Point Calimere was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1967
o Vengurla Rocks (Burnt Island), Maharashtra which is an important site for nesting terns.

Key threats to Indian seabird species include:
o Pollution
o Coastal development
o Introduced species

National priorities
o Undertake systematic seabird studies, in particular of the islands in the Andaman and Nicobar group, the Gulf of Kutch, the Gulf of Mannar and in the Lakshadweep Archipelago
o Designate Burnt Island (Vengurla Rocks), Beliapani Reef (Cherbaniani), Byramgore and Suheli Pitti as Marine Bird Sanctuaries.
o Include the provision of MPAs in national legislation and policy
o Implementation of the Programme of Work on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity with activities including: declaration and gazetting of MPAs and the development of management plans for MPAs.

Government's support/relevant policy
A National network of 38 Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (MCPAs) is already in place including sites that forbid extractive uses and employ sustainable management practices. Besides these MCPAs there are another 100 PAs that have terrestrial or fresh water ecosystem that border the sea or partly contain coastal and marine environment, mostly lying on the east coast of India. These PAs has been notified either as National Parks or Wildlife Sanctuaries under the Wildlife Protection Act. National targets have been set in sectoral plans, strategies and programmes, especially for the establishment of new MPAs however there is no specific provision of MPAs under these or any other legislation. In addition several PAs have not been legally gazetted yet and in some cases low investment, in terms of both manpower and financing, as well as inadequate interagency co-ordination adversely affects PA management. It has also been highlighted that currently there are limited provisions for sharing benefits with local communities and there is little socioeconomic data available on the status of communities dependant on PAs. Please see policy tab for list of agreements that this country is party to.

References
o Anonymous (1991) Pitti Island, Lakshadweep: an ornithological study. Madras Naturalist Society, Madras. Pp.34.
o Anonymous (2009) Consultation workshop on Conservation of Marine Species for Development of Species Recovery Plans and Marine Protected Areas in India. 6-7 March, 2009. Resource Material. Wildlife Institute of India.
o (1988-1991) Ecology of Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary (An Endangered ecosystem). Final report. Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay.
o Islam, Z.A. and Rahmani, A.R. (2004) Important Bird Areas in India: Key sites of conservation. Indian Bird Conservation Network, Bombay Natural History Society and BirdLife International, Mumbai and UK.
o Rajagopalan, R. (2008) Marine Protected Areas in India. International Collective in Support of Foshworkers. Samudra Monograph. Pp.69.
o Rodgers, W. A. Panwar, H. S. & Mathur, V. B. (2000) Wildlife protection area network in India. A review. Wildlife Institute of India. Dehra Dun. Pp.44.