Illegal sand mining poses grave threat to Arakan State’s marine national park

By Admin 28 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
28 February 2023, Rathedaung

Unregulated sand mining involving seagoing vessels is posing a serious threat to Nanthar Island, site of a marine national park and home to dozens of globally endangered species in Arakan State’s Rathedaung Township, according to the Rakhine Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association.

Around 10 vessels extract sand from the island every day, and the shore is eroding away, said the chairman of the Rakhine Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association, U Yan Naung Soe, who called on authorities to put a stop to the illegal sand extraction.

“We can’t order them. Only authorities will be able to stop them. The island is eroding away day by day, both by natural causes and humans. So, we are concerned that the island might vanish within the next decade,” said U Yan Naung Soe.

Nanthar Island is one of only a few “Wetlands of International Importance,” also known as Ramsar Sites, in Myanmar.

“We might suffer from a lot of serious consequences if the island ceases to exist,” said a resident of Aung Taing village in Sittwe Township. Our village, Palin Pyin and Agnumaw villages will be directly hit by waves. Now, the island cushions us against waves. There is a need to make collaborative efforts to conserve this valuable island.”

The Rakhine State Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association says it has been educating about the risks that sand mining poses to the marine national park, but to no avail. And authorities have not yet responded to the association’s request to take action against illegal sand mining.

“Only local authorities will be able to stop them effectively. We have reported about sand mining to government departments and also provided input to other organisations. But there is still no response,” said U Yan Naung Soe.

DMG was unable to reach U Than Tun, the junta-appointed Arakan State resources minister, for comment. 

Located between Sittwe and Rathedaung townships, Nanthar Island was designated as a marine national park by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation in February of last year. The island is the second to be designated as a marine national parkin Myanmar, after Lampi Island in Bokepyin Township, Tanintharyi Region.

The marine national park at Nanthar Island, being one of the last refuges of critically endangered spoon-billed sandpipers, green turtles and other aquatic species, has ecotourism potential that could contribute to the development of Arakan State, its boosters say.