Sibal writes to Environment: please help us save Ice Age survivor

They may soon make science fiction come true. In their blood, they hold the promise of organ regeneration. In their shells, they possess the...

They may soon make science fiction come true. In their blood, they hold the promise of organ regeneration. In their shells, they possess the secret of magic healing. From Massachusetts to Singapore to Tokyo, scientists across the globe, busy decoding the mystery of horseshoe crabs, are at the threshold of rewriting medical science.

But the horseshoe crabs, among the oldest living creatures on earth, are losing a daily battle in their last bastion in India: a tiny pocket around Orissa8217;s Chandipore. High in demand for immense medicinal value, horseshoe crabs are being caught and supplied in bulk to dealers in Bhubaneswar by local fishermen.

Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, whose CSIR-backed labs in Goa and Pune have already filed for as many as nine patents on horseshoe crab derivatives, has been asking the Ministry of Environment and Forests MoEF to declare the crab as a Scheduled IV species8212;that will allow scientists to tap vast research possibilities8212;and ensure protection. But till date, there has been no response.

8216;8216;I wrote to them earlier. I have reminded them again just a few days back. We can8217;t just sit and watch such a treasure being caught and sold freely by fishermen who have little idea of what a life form they are destroying. We must also find out who are these people buying horseshoe crabs in such quantity. But it8217;s the MoEF that has to initiate action,8217;8217; Sibal told The Indian Express.

While MoEF officials refused comment despite repeated attempts, fishermen in Chandipore sounded too eager to meet any demand. 8216;8216;How many do you want? We can even supply truckloads. For bulk delivery, we charge less, about 50 paise per crab if you order enough. Give us Rs 1,000 and just leave your Bhubaneswar address,8217;8217; promised some fishermen at Behrampore beach.

The only sizeable population of horseshoe crabs is found along the Delaware coast in North America. Only a tiny population of 300 survives in Japan. Once available in lakhs in India, their count has dwindled to a few thousand in and around Chandipore.

8216;8216;In Japan, they have declared it a national monument. Unless the government wakes up now, we will lose a creature that has survived 16 ice ages,8221; says conservationist Mike H Pandey. His landmark film Timeless Traveller on horseshoe crabs has won worldwide applause.

Jay Mazoomdaar

Jay Mazoomdaar is an investigative reporter focused on offshore finance, equitable growth, natural resources management and biodiversity conservation. Over two decades, his work has been recognised by the International Press Institute, the Ramnath Goenka Foundation, the Commonwealth Press Union, the Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust, the Asian College of Journalism etc. Expertise and Experience Mazoomdaar’s major investigations include the extirpation of tigers in Sariska, global offshore probes such as Panama Papers, Robert Vadra’s land deals in Rajasthan, India’s dubious forest cover data, Vyapam deaths in Madhya Pradesh, mega projects flouting clearance conditions, Nitin Gadkari’s link to e-rickshaws, India shifting stand on ivory ban to fly in African cheetahs, the loss of indigenous cow breeds, the hydel rush in Arunachal Pradesh, land mafias inside Corbett, the JDY financial inclusion scheme, an iron ore heist in Odisha, highways expansion through the Kanha-Pench landscape etc. ... Read More