The notorious red ghost crab, known for populating the beaches of Cox's Bazar in southeast Bangladesh, has long been a major tourist attraction. Now, their population is facing extinction due to human activities and environmental degradation.
What's happening?
"It's heartbreaking to see them tangled and killed by synthetic nets that litter the beach," said Shahidul Islam Kajal, a marine researcher from Cox's Bazar, to Mongabay.
Tourism has been surging due to the construction of a 50-mile marine drive along the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf coastline. The Bangladesh Navy also built a nearly mile-long jetty in December 2022 for international naval exercises, which now welcomes tourist ship operations. Authorities believe the jetty facilitates smooth rescue operations, commercial activities, tourism, and maritime security, which contribute to Bangladesh's economy. However, environmentalists disagree.
The crab population was once stable, but the influx of human activity along the coastline has pushed them to the brink of extinction due to environmental degradation.
Why are red ghost crabs important?
Red ghost crabs are not just a tourist attraction. They are largely responsible for maintaining the ecological diversity of Bangladesh's coastline.
Marine ecologist Edwin Cruz-Rivera, an associate professor at Morgan State University, told Mongabay that crabs like the red ghost crab contribute to the habitat of estuaries, where rivers meet seas. They feast on organic matter and oxygenate the soil, supporting plant and animal life.
Damage to ecosystems is increasingly harmful to the environment. Beyond just endangered species, a damaged ecosystem means fewer food sources for humans and more carbon pollution. Marine ecosystems are said to play an important role in regulating the climate as they help absorb roughly half of human-made carbon pollution.
What's being done about the dwindling population?
The Bangladesh National Conservation Strategy seeks to promote the development of eco-friendly tourism policies in coastal biodiversity hotspots like Cox's Bazar.
Conservation efforts are equally shown to make a difference, even though Bangladesh has not fully adopted them. One study compared protected beaches versus non-protected beaches to find a significantly higher population of ghost crabs within the protected areas.
The backlash from some communities against conservation efforts is exacerbated by a lack of education on how ecosystems benefit humans. By aiming to keep areas filled with native plants and being mindful of how tourism impacts biodiversity, everyone could help restore dwindling species like the red ghost crab.
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