Smuggled from Dubai, 80 live corals housed at Taraporewala Aquarium

Mumbai: The state fisheries department has made arrangements for 80 live corals of nine species that were smuggled into India from Dubai to be housed at the Taraporewala Aquarium, one of the iconic tourist spots in Mumbai

Mumbai: The state fisheries department has made arrangements for 80 live corals of nine species that were smuggled into India from Dubai to be housed at the Taraporewala Aquarium, one of the iconic tourist spots in Mumbai.

Officials at the aquarium said that the corals were kept in two separate tanks where fish brought from outside for display are quarantined for a fortnight. (HT)

The corals were seized by the customs department at the Pune airport. For the first time, the aquarium has housed corals for which special arrangements were made.

Atul Patne, commissioner, fisheries, informed that the customs officials had contacted them for keeping the corals in the aquarium. The corals were brought to the aquarium in the wee hours of April 6 after being seized a day earlier.

Officials at the aquarium said that the corals were kept in two separate tanks where fish brought from outside for display are quarantined for a fortnight.

“While fish are stronger, corals are a delicate species as they come from a healthy ecosystem. The presence of coral shows that the ecosystem is robust,” explained an official.

Another official added that to house the corals, the temperature of the water in the tank, salinity, and levels of calcium and phosphate have to be maintained.

Corals, which are marine invertebrates that attach themselves to the ocean floor or rocky intertidal regions, are covered under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. This means they have the same level of protection as that of a tiger, elephant, pangolin, or leopard. Offenses like smuggling and handling of corals can lead to imprisonment of three to seven years.

The corals cover nine species, namely, Acropora, Goniopora, Hammer Mix, Torch Mix, Elegance, Wall Hammer, Scolymia, Black Torch, and Acan.

People, however, may not be able to view the corals anytime soon. Inaugurated in 1951 and named after Parsi philanthropist D B Taraporewala, the aquarium, which is otherwise one of the most-visited tourist spots in Mumbai, has been shut since the Covid-19 pandemic.

At present, access to the complex has been hampered by the construction of the coastal road. The fate of this iconic structure is also in limbo due to the ongoing construction of the coastal road and the structural weakening of the building located on the Queen’s necklace. The state government may order the demolition and reconstruction of the aquarium or shift it to the proposed marine research centre and world-class aquarium at Worli. A structural audit has been ordered and the report is expected to be in shortly.