Critical marine welfare issues across South and Southeast Asia's shared sea
The Bay of Bengal, bordered by India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is one of the world's most important and threatened marine ecosystems. Its warm waters support Irrawaddy dolphins, spinner dolphins, blue whales, olive ridley sea turtles, whale sharks, and immense fish diversity. Subsistence and industrial fishing by hundreds of millions of people creates enormous welfare pressure.
Destructive fishing practices including push nets, paired trawling, and monofilament gillnets cause catastrophic bycatch. Sea turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are required in some fisheries but enforcement is weak. Dolphin bycatch in gillnets used for large pelagic fish is significant but poorly documented.
The Bay of Bengal is highly vulnerable to climate change. Cyclone intensity is increasing, causing habitat destruction for coastal nesting turtles and seabirds. Sea surface temperature rise is causing coral bleaching in the Andaman Islands and affecting fish distributions. Freshwater influx from major rivers creates hypoxic zones that can trap and kill fish.
BOBLME (Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Project) coordinates fisheries management among seven coastal nations. The South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) addresses marine pollution. India's Project Sea Turtle provides protection for critical nesting beaches including Gahirmatha, the world's largest olive ridley rookery.