KARACHI: A consultative session was organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pakistan, under its Mangroves for the Future (MFF) Programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change, on Friday. The purpose of the session was to discuss the development of a management plan for the newly-designated Marine Protected Area (MPA), Astola Island, besides mapping stakeholders’ interest, potential threats and presenting the ecological findings of a baseline study of Astola, undertaken by the IUCN. The two-day consultative session was preceded by a meeting of the MFF National coordinating body. Khizar Hayat Khan, the secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change, was the chief guest at the event. The most prominent stakeholders participating in the workshop included Mohammad Rashid, secretary of the Balochistan Forest and Wildlife Department, Arshad Hussain Bugti, secretary of the Balochistan Fisheries Department, Abdul Jabbar, the chief conservator at the Balochistan Forest and Wildlife Department, Muhammad Ali Batur, the director at the Balochistan Environmental Protection Agency, Lt. Cdr. Ajaz Mohsin of the Pakistan Navy, and representatives of WWF-Pakistan. Khizar Hayat Khan said on the occasion, “it is a good effort to support the declaration of Astola Island as a Marine Protected Area and its continuous support towards development of a management plan for the island. He also lauded achievements and efforts of the National Coordinating Body (NCB). The NCB has also supported various coastal studies, including an economic valuation of the coastal ecosystem. “This was long overdue following the declaration of Astola as Pakistan’s first Marine Protected Area,” said Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, the country representative at the IUCN Pakistan. He added, “Following the designation of Astola Island as an MPA site, there is now a dire need to take steps towards its conservation and collaborative management.” The management plan preparation process entails a participatory process which involves defining vision, key management objectives for the MPA, filling gaps in knowledge on the biological and social resources of the area, identifying threats to the site, prescribing actions for conservation of key biodiversity resources, and prescribing a co-management regime with differential responsibilities for various stakeholders. Inspector General Forests Syed Mahmood Nasir said that since Pakistan was party to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, it was committed to declaring at least 10 percent of its coastal and marine areas as protected areas. He appreciated IUCN’s role in the declaration of Astola and its work on other areas being considered for the protected status. He sought support of the IUCN for developing a national proposal to support MPA work in Pakistan. The sessions were facilitated by Dr. Scott Perkins of IUCN Natural Resource Group and Maeve Nightingale, a marine expert from IUCN Asia. Cheema highlighted that IUCN Pakistan has taken initiatives for establishment of a comprehensive ecological and resource use baseline of Astola Island. The baseline survey has been conducted with support from experts from various relevant government and academic organisations and is intended to serve as the foundation for the development of a management plan for Astola Island. The workshop covered important aspects of MPA management highlighting why MPAs are important, what are the benefits MPAs provide, and an update on progress against targets globally, in the Asia region and in Pakistan. During the workshop sustainable financing options for the management and conservation of Astola Island MPA, as well as, other coastal and marine resources of the country were also assessed. Published in Daily Times, May 5th 2018.