MEPA warns over ‘dead zone’ forming in Bay of Bengal

Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment Protection Authority on Thursday urged countries along the Bay of Bengal to draft stronger laws against polluting the oceans due to the formation of a dead zone in the center of the Bay of Bengal.

General Manager of the Marine Environment Protection Authority, Dr. P.B. Teney Pradeep Kumara told Xinhua that authorities had discovered the formation of a dead zone in the Bay of Bengal which had spread across a 6000 square kilometer area and was 100 meters to 400 meters in depth.

This dead zone was located east of India, north east of Sri Lanka, south of Bangladesh and west of Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Kumara said the reason for the formation of this dead zone was excessive ocean pollution through the dumping of polythene, plastic, other non degradable pollutants and chemicals which were flowing in from these countries.

“The dead zone concept first emerged in the 1970’s where scientists discovered that there were some dead zones forming in the oceans and the reason for this was the presence of a high amount of chemicals and pollutants which led to the lack of oxygen. Due to this, marine life disappeared from the area,” Kumara said.

“The dead zone which is forming in the center of the Bay of Bengal will affect the five countries surrounding it, because if this dead zone expands it will lead to a further destruction in marine life and hamper the fisheries and tourism sectors of these countries. All these countries depend on these two sectors,” Kumara said.

He further explained that the six countries along the Bay of Bengal must be responsible for the management of this dead zone by having their own waste management programs.

He urged for an agreement between these countries at a regional level as well as an agreement at a global level for the destruction of non degradable pollutants so that it is not washed into the oceans.

“At present unfortunately there is no such agreement. But in the future with the help of international agencies, we hope there is a better understanding and stronger regulations which would enable us to protect our marine life,” Kumara said.

He further explained that these dead zones would not affect the navigation and shipping industries.

(Xinhua)

-Agencies