Sonadia, sanctuary for rare species

Sonadia Island, a seven square kilometre island of southeastern Bangladesh, has now become a natural sanctuary for numerous wildlife and birds with manmade mangrove and non-mangrove forests.
The island was declared 'Ecologically Critical Area' in 1999 but it is now a safe home for various rare species.
"As part of massive campaign of biodiversity conservation, we have declared 3,191 acres of land as reserve forest in 2014 to ensure ecological balance in the coastal area,” RSM Munirul Islam, divisional forest officer of Coastal Forest Division, told state-run news agency BSS.
“A total of 1756 acres of mangrove forest and 884 acres of jhauban have so far been developed at Sonadia Island,” he added.
The visitors, who travel through waterways from Moheshkhali channel to Sonadia through canals spread like spider web, can come across mangrove and non-mangrove growth on the banks where different species of wildlife live and use mangrove forests inside the Island as their breeding ground.
Tamarisk forest along the Bay of Bengal enhances beauty of the island and it protects residents of island from natural disasters.
Forest department has launched afforestation activities through the Climate Resilient Participatory Afforestation and Reforestation project at Sonadia island to expand forest coverage with both mangrove and non-mangrove trees, Munirul Islam said.
"We are implementing two sub-projects under the Strengthening Regional Co-Operation for Wildlife Protection Project for conservation of different critically endangered species of wildlife and birds," he said adding olive riddle turtle and spoon-billed sand piper both are very rare in the world and they are on the verge of extinction.
Olive riddle turtles can only be seen at Sonadia island and its breeding period is winter season, Munirul added.
"Thousands of olive riddle turtle babies are released at the Bay of Bengal every year as part of conservation of the wildlife," he also added.
"The spoon-billed snadipiper is a small wader, which breeds in north-eastern Russia and the rare bird can be seen during winter season at Sonadia island. The spoon-billed sandpiper is facing imminent extinction as fewer than 100 pairs remain in the world, Munirul said adding ten pairs were seen across the island last winter season.
Sonadia Island's importance for wildlife has been given international recognition by BirdLife International, a global conservation organisation.
Sonadia Island has been declared as 20th Important Bird Area (IBA) of Bangladesh by BirdLife International.
Sonadia supports globally endangered Nordmann's Greenshank, as well as other endangered birds such as Great Knot, Asian Dowitcher, Eurasian Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit, they added.
Officials of the forest department said Sonadia is not just important for birds but it is also a vital breeding ground for several species of marine turtles. It has a huge international importance for biodiversity as large numbers of migratory birds gather at the island every winter season.
Department of Forest along with local residents have prevented killing of these migratory birds for marinating ecological balance.