WWF-Pakistan appeals Sindh Govt to declare more “Marine Protected Areas”

KARACHI:“In less than a decade, three Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been declared in Pakistan, which is the beginning of a new era for the protection of fragile coastal and marine ecosystems of Pakistan.

This is the result of the continuous efforts of the government, conservation organizations, the contribution of wildlife experts, and support from the local fisher groups and communities”. This was stated by World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) in a press release on the World Marine Protected Areas Day, which is being observed on August 1.

WWF-Pakistan also urged that the Sindh government should consider declaring more MPAs such as Pitiani and Dabbo Creeks, which will help in the protection of the biodiversity and important mangrove areas in the Indus Delta.

The organization appreciated the efforts of the Balochistan government for declaring Miani Hor as the third Marine Protected Area of Pakistan on July 29, 2025, after Astola Island and Churna Island were designated MPAs in July 2017 and September 2024. Experts have termed it a major step towards achieving conservation targets set under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Pakistan is a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, and under GBF, the states are required to declare 30 % of the ocean area as a protected area by 2030 (commonly known as 30 x 30).

Marine Protected Areas Day was first launched in 2021 by South African organisations, and since then, it has become an international movement, endorsed by the UN Ocean Decade and embraced by people and organisations around the world.

This day is celebrated globally to raise awareness about the importance of marine protected areas in conserving marine biodiversity, supporting local communities, and mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change. The theme for this year, “Ocean Protection Needs Human Connection,” indicates that we all, in general, and coastal communities in particular, should work towards the protection and conservation of important marine habitats along the coast of Pakistan.

Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan, lauded the efforts of all stakeholders who played a key role in the declaration of Marine Protected Areas in Pakistan. He stressed that both the federal and Sindh governments to take further decisive actions towards achieving the target of 30 x 30. Biodiversity in the coastal and offshore areas of Pakistan is under serious threat due to overfishing, use of deleterious fishing gears, discharge of untreated sewage, disposal of plastic and other solid pollution, habitat degradation, other anthropogenic activities, and climate change. “Establishment of Marine Protected Areas is probably the only solution to tackle these issues”, Khan pointed out.

Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor, WWF-Pakistan, pointed out that the establishment of Marine Protected Areas may help in the sustainable use of the fisheries and other living and non-living resources.

Coastal communities can benefit from new ecotourism opportunities, which would not only support local livelihoods but also raise awareness about the rich marine biodiversity of Pakistan. He further informed that the ecotourism activities were started in Miani Hor by WWF-Pakistan about 20 years back, which included dolphin watching, sand-dune safari, bird watching, and sport fishing, which have now evolved into an alternate source of income for the coastal communities.

Pakistan’s commitment to the protection of coastal and oceanic environment became more important as the country signed the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement on July 22, 2025. This is a landmark achievement as this agreement, part of the UN Convention on the Law of Sea, aims to establish a legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

WWF-Pakistan is urging the Government of Pakistan to consider declaring an offshore marine protected area (MPA) beyond its Exclusive Economic Zone, as the region’s marine resources are being depleted due to unregulated fishing activities. NNI