ISLAMABAD

Pakistan on Wednesday declared an island in the Arabian Sea as “maritime protected area” (MPA).

The government in southwestern Balochistan province approved Churna Island as the second MPA in Pakistan, the World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P) said in a statement.

In 2017, the same provincial government had declared Astola Island as the first MPA in the South Asian nation.

Churna Island, like Astola Island, “is among the limited marine areas in Pakistan that have coral habitat and are termed a biodiversity hotspot,” said the press release.

It added that Churna Island, near the port city of Karachi, is being “extensively used for scuba diving, snorkeling, cliff jumping, and jet skiing and other recreational activities.”

“It is considered an important fishing ground where a large number of fishermen” from Sindh and Balochistan provinces operate."

However, it warned that the marine ecosystem and diverse wildlife inhabiting Churna Island are “under serious threat due to many anthropogenic activities including the development of power plants, single-point mooring, an oil refinery in the immediate vicinity, as well as recreational activities that are conducted at the area.”

The WWF-Pakistan welcomed the declaration of Churna Island as a MPA, calling it is an “important step towards ensuring that the fragile ecosystem of the area is protected.”

*Riyaz ul Khaliq contributed to the story from Istanbul