Poachers responsible for crocodiles' dwindling population at Powai: Activists

Experts as well as those demanding protected status for Powai Lake have alleged that the poachers, who have been carrying out illegal mass fishing, could be the main reason behind the declining population of crocodiles in the lake.

Crocodiles that are a Schedule-I and protected species have made Powai lake their home for several decades now. However, according to those monitoring the lake on a regular basis, the number seems to have reduced significantly as the once ample sightings seems to have now become a rare thing.

Sunish Subramanian — an activist, who has been following the issues related to the lake for a decade — shared that due to beautification work some of the traditional basking and egg laying sites of crocodiles have already been destroyed and to add to that now these poachers have become a major concern.

Explaining further, he said that crocodiles pose the biggest threat for the illegal fishermen, who sit in an inflated tyre tubes along with nets and go about setting it up across the lake at different locations, including shallow areas where crocodiles bask and hunt for food.

"Fishes move to shallow waters for rest and hence these poachers set up nets there and they are even known to pelt stones at crocodiles to move them away and are at times even attacked like the recent case last week. If crocodiles are extinct from the lake their work will only become easier and they can fish without any worry," shared Subramanian.

He added that they have all the reasons to suspect there could be a role of these poachers in the declining numbers of crocodiles in the Powai lake as one doesn't even know if they were behind deaths of the few crocodiles found from the lake as no post mortem was carried.

"When poachers are not afraid to fish illegally they might also be removing the crocodiles eggs or young ones from nest to ensure the number of crocodiles does not increase as it will make fishing for them difficult," alleged Kamlesh Sharma, joint secretary, Maharashtra State Angling Association (MSAA).

Dr Rishikesh Dalvi, a marine biologist, said that if extensive fishing is being carried out on a daily basis its obvious that the food of crocodiles will deplete and crocodiles will begin to look at other options for food.

"Also if these crocodiles were completely removed from Powai lake the entire ecosystem of this water body will be affected as it is the top predator. However a detailed study was required to study the impact on crocodiles of this poaching as well as habitat being disturbed," he said.

MSAA secretary Ali Hussaini said the only way to protect this unique bio diversity hotspot in Mumbai that is home to crocodiles and visited by several birds is to declare it protected area. "Since there are crocodiles here forest department can easily declare it as protected and even take up plans along with the BMC to help save the crocodiles by banning public movement around the basking sites as well as stopping all kinds of illegal fishing here," he said.