LEAD India Fellow Deepak Apte receives Award in London

LEAD India Fellow, Deepak Apte,  a marine biologist with the  Bombay Natural History Society, has received a one of the world’s top prizes for grassroots nature conservation – A Whitley Award - for his work to protect the marine life of the Lakshadweep archipelago. The prize was presented to him by HRH ThePrincess Royal (Princess Anne) at the Royal Geographical Society in London on 21 May 2008.

APTE, Deepak  was one of eleven people honoured at the ceremony by the Whitley Fund for Nature, the UK-based charity which administers the international awards programme.

LEAD is partnering with the Bombay Natural History Society to implement a three year (2005-2008) 'Conserving Giant Clams through a Community Reserve in the Lakshadweep Islands' or 'Project Giant Clam' funded by the Darwin Initiative.

Several LEAD Fellows and staff are involved in the running of the project, which aims at establishing India's first co-managed marine marine protected area (MPA): the 'Agatti Conservation Reserve'. A co-management is proposed between the local fishing community and the government to protect coral reef habitats and manage local fisheries in a sustainable way for improving islanders' livelihood. The restoration of baitfish stock is particularly important as livebait is essential for tuna fishing, the economic mainstay of Lakshadweep.

Protecting coral reef habitats is not only a conservation issue.  People in Agatti depend on the reef's resources and eco-system services, coral reef conservation is vital for economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Speaking before the results were announced, the fund’s founder, Edward Whitley, said: “The aim of the Whitley Awards is to find and support the environmental leaders who are helping to build a future where nature and people co-exist in a way that benefits both.  Once again, this year’s finalists have risen to the challenge. They have impressed and heartened us by telling us their conservation success stories, and by demonstrating what can be achieved when vision, passion, intelligence and determination are brought to bear.  An added bonus is that they give us hope. The example given by people like Deepak Apte is an inspiration for us all.”

Our congratulations to Deepak and the project team for their outstanding achievement!

Release date: Wednesday, May 21, 2008