Environmentalists fear destruction of Nanthar Island Marine National Park amid conflict

By Admin 28 Aug 2026

DMG Newsroom

28 August 2026, Rathedaung

Local residents and environmentalists are deeply concerned that Nanthar Island Marine National Park in Rathedaung Township, Arakan State, faces severe environmental degradation as ongoing armed conflict prevents conservation efforts.

Conservationists said operations at the marine national park have been stalled for nearly three years, warning that the island risks further deterioration if conservation efforts remain suspended.

"The location is currently caught between opposing sides in terms of military confrontation, so no conservation or protection work can be carried out. Rare bird species on the island risk being poached or killed. If replanting is not undertaken in areas eroded by sea waves, the island will gradually deteriorate," said U Yan Naung Soe, chairman of the Rakhine Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (RBANCA).

Conservationists reported that Nanthar Island Marine National Park suffered extensive damage from Cyclone Mocha, causing populations of rare species in the area to decline by about 70 percent.

Even before the cyclone, the island had suffered damage from sand extraction by large motorboats, while poaching and the killing of wildlife pushed rare species toward extinction.

Since Nanthar Island was designated as a marine national park, systematic conservation efforts have lapsed, leaving its current condition unknown.

Local residents said they are afraid to visit the area because the military junta operates naval vessels and conducts military activities nearby.

"Because it is an area where the military could open fire at any time, even locals rarely visit the island. Recently, fishermen were killed when the military fired near the area. We do not even know what condition the island is in or how damaged it is. It is truly worrying," a local man from Rathedaung said.

Nanthar Island is located between the mouth of the Mayu River and the Bay of Bengal, between Sittwe and Rathedaung townships, covering a total area of 22,979 acres of land and water.

The island serves as an important habitat for critically endangered and rare migratory birds, including the spoon-billed sandpiper, Nordmann's greenshank, Eurasian curlew, great knot, and black-tailed godwit, as well as sea turtles and Irrawaddy dolphins.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation designated Nanthar Island as a marine national park on February 22, 2022.

The island was also designated as a Ramsar site in May 2020 after meeting five of the nine criteria under the Ramsar Convention.

Environmental observers emphasized that Nanthar Island is an invaluable ecological site, warning that its destruction would leave nearby communities increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters.