DHAKA, Dec 02, 2024 - (BSS) - The government today issued a set of guidelines to check the uncontrolled tourism to preserve the biodiversity and environment of Saint Martin Island, the only coral island in Bangladesh.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change along with other concerned organizations have taken pragmatic steps to combat the existing uncontrolled tourism to safeguard the biodiversity and overall environment of St. Martin Island in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, said a ministry release this evening.

The guideline said it has been made mandatory to collect travel passes from the Bangladesh Tourism Board's apps for traveling by the approved ships while tourists have been instructed to deposit polythene and onetime usable plastics while entering the vessel.

“Eco-friendly jute bags are being distributed to tourists to discourage the use of polythene,” the guideline said.

Besides, all necessary information about the stay of tourists at hotels is being recorded in the register with giving verbal instructions about the rules and regulations to be followed during the travel to this coral island. Meanwhile, a billboard has also been installed with instructions for tourists at the Nuniachhara Dock, it added.  

 A committee has been formed with the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Teknaf and Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila as the convener to prevent uncontrolled tourism on St. Martin while a 21-member monitoring cell was assigned to monitor the ship and tourism activities there.

As part of this initiative, 10 teams of the Department of Environment (DoE) are monitoring the use of polythene and plastic in the ships from November 30 to December 31, the release mentioned.

Giving a salient feature of the travel to St Martin’s Island today, total 681 passengers, including 644 tourists and 37 locals, sailed to St. Martin on the MV Baro Awlia, the newest ship on the Saint Martin route.

 As many as 704 travel passes were issued on the second day (today), seeking all-out cooperation to preserve the environment of the island, the ministry release added.