(A division of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, Centre for Herpetology)

The Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) archipelago, situated 1200 km from the Indian mainland in the Bay of Bengal, comprises 350 tropical islands and islets of outstanding beauty and diversity. Of the 306 named islands 94 are designated as sanctuaries that include four as national parks and two as marine national parks. The land area of 6408 km²in the Andamans constitutes 90% as reserves and protected areas of which 36% is tribal reserve. Although taxonomic surveys are still far from complete, biologists have identified some 214 bird species, of which 96 are endemic, 72 species of reptiles (25 endemic), 19 species of amphibians (9 endemic). Four species of marine turtles nest around these islands, including the largest marine reptile the leatherback sea turtle, which is a significant population for the Indian Ocean region. Over 60 species of mammals are represented with 33 species being endemic, 197 coral species have so far been identifies, making the reefs of the Andamans globally significant. Among other animals 5100 species are so far known, 100 freshwater, 2100 terrestrial and 2900 marine. Plant inventories have recorded 2500 species and 223 of them as endemic. More than a quarter of the fauna and flora are endemic, while the remainder represents a fascinating mixture of taxa. The Andamans have Indo-China affinities being a subset of Rakhine (Arakan) Yomas of Myanmar with even sub continental India and the Nicobars have Indo-Malayan affinities. These islands are also home to four of the last aboriginal tribes of humans, all of who still employ bows and arrows and are still struggling to safeguard their territories from the outside world. 

The largest archipelago system in the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands cover a total area of over 8249 km², with a coastline stretch of 1962 km. The land area is, almost 86 %, covered with monsoon forests and lush tropical rainforests, now known to be globally a significant hotspot for biodiversity. The littoral and marine environments of the archipelago are no less varied and include essential nesting beaches for four threatened species of marine turtles and sea grass beds that support the rare dugong or sea cow. One of India's largest mangrove ecosystems, 106,172 ha, with extensive networks of mangrove creeks are inhabited by saltwater crocodiles and the giant water monitor lizard. The A&N archipelago is fringed by spectacular and most pristine coral reefs in the Indian Ocean region, which support thousands of species of fish, coelenterates, molluscs, crustaceans and sea snakes. Of the 306 islands in the Andaman and Nicobars 94 are designated as sanctuaries, 6 as national parks, two of which are marine parks, and five as Tribal reserves.

 Despite their remoteness, these extraordinary islands are rapidly being encroached by, settlers from mainland India, logging operators and hundreds of thousands of land-hungry settlers. The ongoing, largely indiscriminate deforestation not only destroys the natural habitats of numerous plants and animals, but is also leading to large-scale erosion and the degradation of once-permanent freshwater sources. The fragile marine ecosystems are jeopardised by siltation (from eroded soil), sewage contamination, oil pollution and short-sighted resource exploitation, such as the collection of shells, coral reef curios, shark fins, sea cucumbers, lobsters, crabs and sand mining for construction. Further to this, the vulnerable island biota is under threat from many potentially destructive introduced species, including spotted and

Barking deer, rats, giant African snails, elephants, goats, dog, cats and invasive weeds.

ANET’s primary aim is to help ensure the long-term survival of as much of the A&N natural biodiversity as feasible, whilst recognising the needs of the human inhabitants, especially the threatened aborigines. Since little conservation work or directly relevant research has been conducted in the islands prior to ANET’s formation in 1989, the Team has found it necessary to tackle several different, though ultimately complementary, fields.

  1.                  Research

 The development of effective conservation strategies depends upon a sound understanding of the diversity, distribution and ecology of the island’s fauna and flora. ANET therefore conducts a variety of original biological research programmes, including survey of sea turtles and crocodiles since 1977. Another research priority of the Team is to understand the requirements of the islanders to help develop practical and culturally acceptable means of sustainably utilising the islands’ natural resources. ANET researchers typically hold a higher degree in an environmental or economic subject.

Moreover, as the only environmental NGO with good logistical back-up and a permanent base in the islands, ANET is frequently requested to collaborate in research by visiting representatives of other Indian institutions. This enables the partner organisations to share ideas, expertise and equipment, and ensure that ANET keeps abreast of current research in this region.

2.                  Applied Conservation

 As a direct outcome of its biological and ethnological research, ANET is able to develop well-informed and workable conservation strategies to help ensure the survival of endangered species and habitats. Such strategies may include protective legislation, designation of protected areas and Reserves, sustainable management schemes, and captive propagation of threatened species. An example of ANET’s applied conservation projects is the establishment of an arboretum and forest nursery to provide seedlings of indigenous species of trees for reforestation.

3                    Environmental Education

 Conservation work in the islands is unlikely to succeed in the long term without the support of the local people. ANET aims to teach local people of the “workings” of the fragile island ecology and help them understand the dangers of putting too much pressure on its resources. The Team also endeavors to instill a greater level of environmental awareness; that is, stakeholders are encouraged to appreciate nature and active interest in conserving the islands wildlife and habitats. Further to this, ANET supports and trains local teachers, school children, settlers, people from the armed forces and naturalists so that they can build upon its conservation efforts.

Although some of ANET’s aims might at first seem ambitious and idealistic, the Team has already found that it is possible to influence government policy in the islands through lobbying and demonstrating workable pilot projects. After all, the islands’ key industries (including tourism, fishing and trade in forest and marine products) all depend on the survival of this archipelago’s unique biodiversity. The Administration is interested in the concept of alternative technology and ecologically sound land management, but all too often lacks the expertise and infrastructure that the Team and its collaborators can mobilise.

The following is a resume of some of ANET’s activities: 

In 1991, under WWF-India’s Community Biodiversity Programme, and with additional support from the Indo-German Social Service Society, a small nursery of forest tree species was initiated, which included distribution of seedlings to the local people and planting fallow land in the Wandoor area. Further, WWF-International provided initial seed money for setting up of an arboretum of rare and endemic flora, supervised by Aparna Gopal. 

In 1991, researcher Aparna Singh conducted the first of a series of environmental education programmes in schools in South Andaman, sponsored by the Department of Environment, New Delhi. 

In 1991, researcher Jayashree Ratnam carried out a study on the status, natural history, distribution and behavioral ecology of the endemic Andaman day gecko, sponsored by the World Congress of herpetology.

 In 1992, researcher Nina Sengupta of Development Alternatives, New Delhi, conducted a study on the utilization patterns of forest produce by settlers in Wandoor Village, sponsored by ANET. 

In 1992, researcher Miriam Paul, attached to the Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, conducted a study on tribal displacement and status of the negrito tribes in the Andaman Islands, sponsored by Janvikas, Pune, with logistic support from ANET. 

ANET was appointed, in 1993, to the Special Committee of the Great Nicobar Island Biosphere Reserve and was asked to devise environmental research projects for this unique island. 

Senior researcher, Satish Bhaskar, trained A&N Forest Department personnel in 1993-1996 to monitor nesting sea turtles and protection of nesting beaches. ANET was appointed by the Department to formulate an action plan for long term conservation and management programmes for the endangered sea turtles, their seagrass feeding grounds and their nesting beaches. As a direct result, several islands with important nesting beaches were added to the Marine National Park.

 Projects Director, Harry Andrews, conducted and trained forest Department personnel in wetlands assessment as well as monitoring populations of crocodiles and the critically endangered Andaman Teal.

At the request of the Department, ANET developed an action plan for conservation and management of protected areas, sea turtles, crocodiles and wetlands. 

Scientific officer, Dr. Indraneil Das and senior researcher Satish Bhaskar undertook a herpetological survey in the Nicobars in 1994 as part of a major biogeographical assessment of these islands. Reptiles and amphibians were deposited in the Zoological Survey of India collection as types or locality specimens. Four of the species (two frogs, two lizards and a snake) have been described as new to science. The Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi, sponsored the survey. 

In 1994, researcher T.V. Padma undertook a study on the levels of pollution on the epifauna of mangroves in Wandoor, South Andaman, which included a soil analysis and faunal survey of the mangroves in South Andaman, sponsored by ANET and the Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi. 

In 1994, researcher Manish Chandi, sponsored by WWF-India and ANET, initiated a two year project on the introduction of suitable strategies for the conservation and protection of rainforests through community action in Wandoor Village, South Andaman.

 During the period 1995 to 1997, researcher Arjun Sivasundar undertook surveys and studies on nesting patterns, placement and predation of nests of the leatherback sea turtle in the Andaman Islands, sponsored by ANET and the Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi.

 Between 1995 and 1997, researcher Sohan Shetty conducted studies on the terrestrial behaviour and geographic variation in the yellow-lipped sea krait in the Andaman Islands, sponsored by ANET/the Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi. 

In 1996, researcher Rohan Arthur of the Wildlife Institute of India carried out a survey of coral reefs and reef fishes of the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, South Andamans, sponsored by ANET/the Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi.

 In 1996, Ranjan Biswas of Trailblazers, Bombay, was contracted by ANET to conduct an environmental education workshop for students and teachers of the Andaman Islands as part of ANET’s ongoing education programme, sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi. 

In early 1997, researchers Kamlesh Shankar and P.V. Kumaraswamy undertook two studies entitled “Andaman and Nicobar Islands – a tourism perspective” and “Development of tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”, respectively, sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi.

 Studies by ANET researchers revealed a worrying lack of understanding or appreciation of the islands’ natural ecosystems among the settlers, many of whom were raised in mainland cities. ANET therefore initiated a teachers training manual ‘Treasured Islands’ on island ecology, designed and produced by Sunita Rao, to help school children appreciate nature and take an active interest in conserving the islands’ diversity and wilderness areas (WWF-India and the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India). This manual is now part of the required syllabus in schools throughout the archipelago. An educational video on the natural history and conservation problems of the islands was also produced by ANET and distributed to local schools. The Team Education Officer makes regular environmental presentations to schools and organises nature walks.

 ANET’s arboretum, started by Aparna Singh in 1991 propagates rare and endemic plants to provide seedlings for villagers, school children, the Forest Department and environmental NGO’s to reforest degraded land and public areas. The A&N Forest Department has invited ANET to submit afforestation projects for funding by the National Wastelands Development Board. The flora study includes preparation of three sets of herbarium sheets by our botanists who have collected over 1000 specimens to date.

 Harry Andrews is involved in collection of live specimens of reptiles, helping design enclosures and formulating captive breeding proposals for the zoo at Port Blair, managed by the Forest Department

 ANET’s work has already culminated in a large number of research publications and popular articles which focus on the biology of individual endangered species, the ecology of rainforest and marine habitats and the effects of pollution, deforestation and hunting (see Appendix). Reprints have been sent to relevant researchers, institutions, departments and administrators.

 “Treasured Islands”, a video produced by ANET in 1995 in Hindi and English, is currently being used by the islands’ schools, college, Forest Department, Department of Education and the Department of Tourism.

 Since April 1997, a project entitled “Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas Management Planning Project in the Andaman Islands” was initiated by ANET in partnership with the Fauna and Flora International, United Kingdom, supported by the Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species. The objectives identified include: -

·            Research and field surveys both within and around three existing protected areas

·            Training of ANET researchers and Forest Department staff in species surveys and monitoring techniques, data collection, evaluation and formulation of management plans.

·            Provision of environmental education for people who visit or live close to the three protected areas, especially school children and teachers.

·            Formulation and implementation of management plans for three protected areas.

Activities till 1999 have included sociological studies, an environmental education programme (where slide-talks, field visits and workshops for school children and teachers were organised). Biological (botanical and zoological) inventories and impact assessments for three protected areas, the Mount Harriet National Park area, Rani Jhansi Marine National Park and the Saddle peak National Park were completed. These studies resulted in the discovery of species new to science besides several new records for the Islands. Impact assessments have also been conducted for two Tribal Reserves, the Little Andaman Island and The Jarawa Reserve.

  In 1999 Harry Andrews was elected to the Coral Reef monitoring Committee for the Islands. 

In early 2000, ANET and Kalpavriksh jointly launched the Revised Version of the teachers training manual ‘Treasured Islands’ in English and Hindi together with a poster in the Islands. 

During July 2000 a sea turtle survey of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was started, as part of the UNDP/ Government of India National sea turtle project, for India. Three field stations, Middle Andaman Island, Rutland Island and one in Great Nicobar Island were setup for this project. Harry Andrews surveyed all other remote and outlying islands in the Andamans and the Nicobars.  Shreyas Krishnan took up monitoring and studies in Great Nicobar Island. To date over 300 giant leatherback sea turtles have been individually tagged. Preliminary results indicate that this large reptile nesting in the Nicobars is not only the most significant for Indian Ocean region but is globally significant. Tagging efforts has resulted in establishing that the nesting population in the Nicobars is the one of the last four large populations (over 1000) in the world.  

In October 2000 ANET was selected as the nodal agency to draw up a strategy and action plan for the Islands, for the Government of India-UNDP project, ‘National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan’  (NBSAP). 

In November 2000 the Andaman and Nicobar Administration elected Harry Andrews to the Wildlife Advisory Board for the Islands. 

Early February 2001, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), South Asia team, conducted a 4 day socio-economic monitoring and training workshop at ANET. This workshop was conducted for ANET researchers, people from various departments within the islands, as well as for college students. 

Rauf Ali undertook a study of the feral elephants, during February and April 2001, on Interview Island; this study was aimed at assessing the impact of these animals on vegetation.

 In July 2001 ANET, together with the A & N Forest Department, the Indian Institute of Public Administration, and Flora and Fauna International, UK, conducted a workshop cum seminar, 'Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Areas Management Planning for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands'. Over 90 participants including policy makers, representatives from all departments of the islands, the Armed Forces, island and Mainland India scientists, university faculty members, students and various NGO's participated in this three day seminar. The Darwin Initiative, UK, funded this workshop and was a part of the project and field research that ANET has conducted since 1997. 

During 2001-2002, Aparna and Meethu completed a survey and assessment of the shark fin industry to assess the impact on the shark populations and species around the Andaman seas. 

Senior scientific advisor Rauf Ali and Bandna Aual conducted a study, in 2001, on the rate of vegetation regeneration and impact of browsing by spotted deer in protected areas and in natural regeneration areas. 

ANET's Team Aparna, Biswas, and Meethu conducted a socio- economic monitoring and study around the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park as part of the impact assessment study on the coral reefs of the marine national park, to formulate sustainable tourism and management involving local people living around the park. This study was taken up in August 2001 and completed by January 2002. 

In January 2002 ANET was elected to the State Level Environment Council of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

Bandana Aul completed a tree month survey and study on the bats of the Andamans; this is the first ever systematic survey on the species distribution and ecology conducted so far in the islands. This study has resulted in new records and new species descriptions and will be taken up further as her PhD thesis.

 In the Nicobars, Meera Oommen conducted a study on the ecology of the little known Nicobar tree shrew on Great Nicobar Island.

 Shreyas Krishnan conducted a four month herpetofauna study around the middle Nicobar group of Islands. 

Manish Chandi spent four months studying resource use by the people living on Little Nicobar Island, besides monitoring sea turtles and inventorying the herpetofauna of the island.  

Currently (2003) Bandana is conducting a bat survey in the Nicobar group of islands and Manish is on Little Andaman Island continuing his study on human ecology. 

S P. Vijayakumar is conducting a study on the diversity and ecology of the herpetofauna of the Nicobar Islands

Since its inception ANET has maintained its policy of collaborating with the A & N Forest Department as closely as possible. Regular meetings are encouraged to keep the Department abreast of ANET’s activities, to enable forestry officials to suggest further programmes, which could be incorporated into ANET’s Work Plan, and for the mutual exchange of biological observations and skills. 

Harry Andrews holds discussions with the Islands’ Chief Wildlife Warden and other officers to design well-informed management plans for the protection and expansion of wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas, based chiefly on data collected by ANET researchers. Many of ANET’s recommendations are approved by the Department of Environment. 

ANET makes a point of networking with other scientists and environmental agencies, including Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore; the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun; the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta; the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi; Kalpavriksh, Pune; World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), India; TRAFFIC-India; Development Alternatives, New Delhi; the Auroville Index Seminum, Auroville, Tamil Nadu; Foundation for Ecological Research Advocacy and Learning, (FERAL) Pondicherry; Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi; Ashoka Innovators for the Public, New Delhi; Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)- South Asia, Sri Lanka; The Innovation Centre, University of Exeter, U. K; and other IUCN/SSC Specialist Groups.

 Within the Andamans:  

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Forest Department; Society for Andaman & Nicobar Environment (SANE); Zoological Survey of India (ZSI); Botanical Survey of India (BSI); the Anthropological Survey of India (ASI); the Agricultural, Fisheries, and Tourism Departments; Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), and the Armed forces.

By virtue of its new research and education base station in Wandoor (South Andaman), its small fleet of boats and its well-maintained relationships with the A&N Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and local people, ANET is uniquely positioned to make further tangible contributions to conservation in the archipelago.

·            Identifying rare and endemic species, as well as biodiversity hot spots of conservation priority, and formulating action plans to protect them.

·            Producing species checklists and illustrated field guides.

·            Documenting the distribution, abundance, and impact of introduced flora and fauna and assessing the feasibility of selectively removing detrimental exotics.

·            Continuing to increase efforts to educate the settlers about the islands’ vulnerable fauna, flora, soil, and water, and help them recognize the crucial importance of conservation.

·            Ethnobiological studies to identify practical ways in which settlers can make a living from the forest and the sea without permanently depleting their natural resources.

·            Environmental education for school children, teachers, and settlers.

·            Production of the teachers training manual “Treasured Islands” in other local languages.

·            Development of practical strategies for conserving the natural biodiversity through community action. Attention will be given to appropriate agricultural schemes, water conservation, rainwater harvesting and alternative construction methods.

Mrs. Tara Gandhi                     Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi

Mr. Vivek Menon                     The Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi

Dr. Lothika Varadarajan      National Institute of Sciences, New Delhi

Mr. Colin Gonsalves                 The Indian People’s Tribunal on Environment and Human Rights, Mumbai.

Mr. Ashish Kothari                   Kalpavriksh, Pune

Dr. M. V. M. Wafar                 National Institute of Oceanography, Goa

Dr. Kumara Guru                     Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai