INDIA: Jarawa People And Their Way Of Life

The Jarawas are an indigenous people of the Andaman Islands in India.

They live in parts of South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands, and their present numbers are estimated at between 250–400 individuals.

They have largely shunned interaction with outsiders, and many particulars of their society, culture and traditions are poorly understood.

As far as their clothing is concerned, they use various kinds of ornaments made from forest products to adorn their body.

The Jarawas are recognised as an Adivasi group in India. Along with other indigenous Andamanese peoples, they have inhabited the islands for at least several thousand years, and most likely a great deal longer.

According to the Great Andamanese language, the term Jarawa means ‘stranger’. Their native tongue is also known as Jarawa, which belongs to the Ongan language family.

The Andaman Islands have been known to outsiders since antiquity; however, until quite recent times they were infrequently visited, and such contacts were predominantly sporadic and temporary.

The tribes of the Andaman Islands – the Jarawa, Great Andamanese, Onge and Sentinelese – are believed to have lived in their Indian Ocean home for up to 55,000 years.

They are now vastly outnumbered by several hundred thousand Indians, who have settled on the islands in recent decades.

For the greater portion of their history their only significant contact has been with other Andamanese groups. Through many decades, the contact to the tribe has diminished quite significantly.

There is some indication that the Jarawa regarded the now-extinct Jangil tribe as a parent tribe from which they split centuries or millennia ago, even though the Jarawa outnumbered and eventually out-survived the Jangil.

The Jangil also called the Rutland Island Aka Bea were presumed extinct by 1931.

The Jarawa are a designated Scheduled Tribe in India.

They are simple people who bank on nature for survival, engaging themselves in various rituals and ceremonies, with song and dance being an integral part of most festivals.

Marriages take place among the adolescents and according to their custom a widow or widower can remarry. The average height of men is around 150 cm, whereas the women are about 140 cm tall.

At present, their average life expectancy has dropped to 60 to 65 years from the previous range of 80 to 90 years.

Before the 19th century, the Jarawa homelands were located in the southeast part of South Andaman Island and nearby islets.

With the establishment of the initial British settlement, these are suspected to have been largely depopulated by disease shortly after 1789.

The Great Andamanese tribes were similarly depopulated by the introduction of alcohol and opium, leaving open the western areas which the Jarawa gradually made their new homeland.

The spreading of opium and alcohol was to some extent sponsored by the colonial authorities in order to depopulate the Jarawa.

The immigration of mainland Indian and Karen (Burmese) settlers, beginning about two centuries ago, accelerated this process.

Prior to their initiating contact with settled populations in 1997, the Jarawa were noted for vigorously maintaining their independence and distance from external groups, actively discouraging most incursions and attempts at contact.

Since 1998, they have been in increasing contact with the outside world and have increasingly been the initiators of such contact.

All contact, especially with tourists, remains extremely dangerous to the Jarawa due to the risk of disease. Of the remaining Andamanese peoples.

Only the Sentinelese have been able to maintain a more isolated situation, and their society and traditions persist with little variance from their practices they observed before the first significant contacts were made.

Today the Jarawa are in regular contact with the outside world through settlements on the fringes of their Reserve, through daily contact with outsiders along the Andaman Trunk Road and at jetties, marketplaces and hospitals near the road.

And at settlements near the reserve, with some children even showing up at mainstream schools and asking to be educated along with settler children.

The Jarawas are hostile towards outsiders and are sometimes accessible to Indian linguists.

The Jarawas are the only remaining Negrito remnants of the Andaman Islands out of four.

Other than having a history as traditional hunter-forager-fishermen, they also had reputations as warriors and uncompromising defenders of their territory.

The Jarawas lived through British encroachment in the 19th century, as well as Japanese occupation later on.]

Jarawas currently have a population of 270 remaining. Their primary threat is a highway, Andaman Trunk Road, running through their territory and reserve of 1,028 square kilometers of dense evergreen forests.

As the Jarawas are a nomadic tribe, they hunt endemic wild pigs, monitor lizards and other quarry with bows and arrows. They would keep no dogs to help hunting, until recently to become more similar to the Onges and Andamanese.

Since this is an island tribe, food sources in the ocean are highly important to them. Men would fish with bows and arrows in shallow water. Women would catch fish with baskets.

Mollusks, dugongs and turtles are a major part of the Jarawa diet. Besides meat and seafood, Jarawas love to collect fruit, tubers and honey from the forest.

In order to get the honey from the bees, they would use a plant extract to calm the bees.

Both Jarawa men and women collect wild honey from lofty trees. During the honey collection the members of the group will sing songs to express their delight.

The honey-collector will chew the sap of leaves of a bee-repellant plant, such as Ooyekwalin, which they will then spray with their mouths at the bees to keep them away.

Once the bees have gone the Jarawa can cut the bee’s nest, which they will put in a wooden bucket on their back. The Jarawa always bathe after consuming honey.

A study of their nutrition and health found their ‘nutritional status’ was ‘optimal’. They have detailed knowledge of more than 150 plant and 350 animal species.

The Jarawa bow, made of chuiood is also known as aao in their own language. The arrow is called patho. The wooden head of the arrow is made of areca wood.

To make the iron head arrow, called aetaho in their language, they use iron and areca wood or babmo. Their chest guard in order to go hunting or for any raids is called kekad.

The biggest threat to the Jarawa in recent years came from the building of the Great Andaman Trunk Road through their newer western forest homeland in the 1970s.

In late 1997, some Jarawa started coming out of their forest to visit nearby settlements for the first time.

Within months a serious measles epidemic broke out. In 2006 the Jarawa suffered another outbreak of measles. No deaths were reported.

In 1998, a few Jarawa started to emerge from their forest for the first time without their bows and arrows to visit nearby towns and settlements.

In 1990 the local authorities revealed their long-term master plan to settle the Jarawa in two villages with an economy based on fishery, suggesting that hunting and gathering could be their sports.

The plan was so prescriptive it even detailed what style of clothes the Jarawa should wear.

Forced settlement had been fatal for other tribes in the Andaman Islands, just as it has been for most newly-contacted tribal peoples worldwide.

The impact of the highway, in addition to widespread encroachment, poaching and commercial exploitation of Jarawa lands, caused a lawsuit to be filed with the Calcutta High Court, which has jurisdiction over the islands.

The case escalated to the Supreme Court of India as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The Society for Andaman and Nicobar Ecology, the Bombay Natural History Society and Pune-based Kalpavriksh joined in the petition, resulting in a landmark High Court judgment in 2001.

This resulted in Court directing the administration to take steps to protect the Jarawa from encroachment and contact, as well as preemptively ruling out any program that involved relocating the Jarawa to a new reservation.

Planned extensions of the highway were also prohibited by the court.

However, the Light of Andamans editorialised that the changes to the Jarawa were likely irreversible and should have been assessed more thoroughly before the road was built.

The road that cuts through their territory brings thousands of outsiders, including tourists, into their land. The tourists treat the Jarawa like animas in a safari park.

A major problem is the volume of sightseeing tours that are operated by private companies, where tourists view, photograph or otherwise attempt interactions with Jarawas, who are often begging by the highway.

They remain vulnerable to outside diseases to which they have little or no immunity. In 1999 and 2006, the Jarawa suffered outbreaks of measles, a disease that has wiped out many tribes worldwide following contact with outsiders. An epidemic could devastate the tribe.

Jarawa women have been sexually abused by poachers, settlers, bus drivers and others.

The girls say, that the outside boys pressure them to do a lot. They pressure them with their hands and fingernails, when the girls get angry. They chase them under the influence of alcohol.

They have sex with the girls. They drink alcohol in the girls’ house. They sleep in the Jarawa’s house. They smoke marijuana and then chase the girls.

There is pressure from some, including the island’s MP, to force the Jarawa to integrate into the mainstream of Indian society.

The fate of the Great Andamanese and Onge peoples serves as a vivid warning of what may happen to the Jarawa unless their rights to control who comes onto their land and to make their own decisions about their ways of life are recognized.

These are illegal under Indian law, and in March 2008, the Tourism Department of the Andaman and Nicobar administration issued a fresh warning to tour operators.

That attempting contact with Jarawas, photographing them, stopping vehicles while transiting through their land or offering them rides were prohibited under the Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation, 1956 and would be prosecuted under a strict interpretation of the statute.

It has been alleged, however, that these rules are openly being flouted with over 500 tourists being taken to view Jarawas daily by private tour operators.

This is while technically being shown as transiting to legitimate destinations and resulting in continuing daily interaction between the Jarawa and day tourists inside the reserve area.

In 2006, the Indian travel company Barefoot had established a resort 3 km distant from the Jarawa reserve.

The development was the subject of a recent court case brought by a small section of Andaman authorities who wanted to stop the resort, and appealed against a Calcutta High Court ruling allowing it to continue. Barefoot won that case.

Some Indian tourism companies bring tourists close to their secluded areas where the natives are tossed food from the caravans.

In 2012, a video shot by a tourist showed women encouraged to dance by an off-camera policeman.

At present, there are numerous private operators who take tourists to the reserve area to interact with the tribe.

Tourists view, take photographs and try to mingle with them, which is illegal under the Indian Law, but, rules are being flouted almost daily.

People traveling to the protected area hurl food from their vehicles, while sometimes, tourists even exploit the Jarawa women by asking them to dance and taking photographs.

Cases of sexual abuse also unfolded before the administration, which prompted them to take action. In various interviews, the tribal people have explicitly stated that their women are sexually exploited by outsiders.

A documentary titled “Organic Jarawa” on the life of Jarawa people was made by French filmmakers Alexandre Dereims and Claire Beilvert, who were booked for it under the law of the land, as they went to the reserve area to shoot without permission. The Indian police are investigating the matter.

On 21 January 2013 a Bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and H.L. Gokhale passed an interim order banning the tourists from taking trunk road passing through Jarawa area.

As a response to this interim order, a petition was filed on behalf of local inhabitants which stated that the Andaman Trunk Road is a very vital road and connects more than 350 villages.

The Supreme Court therefore, on 5 March 2013 reversed its interim order, allowing the road to be fully re-opened, but with vehicles only being allowed to travel in large convoys four times a day.

A light skinned, few months old baby was found dead in the Jarawa reserve area which led the police to investigate.

Because of the complexion, which is quite unusual for the tribal people, the baby was believed to have been fathered by an outsider, and it was thought that this might have prompted them to carry out a ritual killing.

But, it was believed that outside hand was involved, leading to the arrest of two non-tribal men.

Human safaris to the Jarawa

Although India’s Supreme Court in 2002 ordered that the highway through the Jarawa’s reserve should be closed, it remains open – and tourists use it for ‘human safaris’ to the Jarawa.

Poachers enter the Jarawa’s forest and steal the animals the tribe rely on for their survival. They have also introduced alcohol and marijuana and are known to sexually abuse Jarawa women.

In 1999 and 2006, the Jarawa suffered outbreaks of measles – a disease that has wiped out many tribes worldwide following contact with outsiders.

In India, ‘mainstreaming’ refers to the policy of pushing a tribe to join the country’s dominant society. It has a devastating effect on tribal peoples.

It strips them of their self-sufficiency and sense of identity, and leaves them struggling at the very margins of society. Rates of disease, depression, addiction and suicide within the tribal community almost inevitably soar.

In 2010 the Andaman Islands’ member of parliament called for ‘quick and drastic steps be taken to bring the Jarawa up to the basic mainstream characteristics’ and for children to be sent to residential schools in order to ‘wean’ the children away from the tribe.

He described the Jarawa as being ‘in a primitive stage of development’ and ‘stuck in time somewhere between the stone and iron age’.

Influential figures in India, including government ministers, have often called for the Jarawa to be assimilated, believing that they are ‘backward’ or ‘primitive’.

This request, however, has not come from the Jarawa, who show no sign of wanting to leave their life in the forest.

Such an attitude can stem from racist disdain or from a genuine concern for the tribe’s welfare; either way it is always based on a misunderstanding of both the Jarawa’s current excellent quality of life, and the miserable experiences of tribal people who have been forcibly assimilated.

Since 2004, the Indian government’s policy towards the Jarawa has been very positive: the general principle is that the tribe themselves should control their future, with minimal intervention from the state.

However, there are still many who are clamoring for this to change.

Survival International advocates neither isolation nor integration, believing – as with all tribal peoples – that they themselves are best placed to determine what, if any, changes they wish to make to their lives.

Crucial to having the time and space to make these decisions is that their land is properly protected from outside incursions.

The principal threat to the Jarawa’s existence comes from encroachment onto their land, which was sparked by the building of a highway through their forest in the 1970s.

The Andaman Trunk Road (ATR) brings outsiders into the heart of their territory.

The ATR has also encouraged ‘human safaris’, where tour operators drive tourists along the road in the hope of ‘spotting’ members of the tribe.

Illegal hunting, fishing and gathering, from both local and foreign poachers, remains a serious threat to the Jarawa’s survival.

The theft of the food they rely on risks robbing them of their self sufficiency and driving the tribe to extinction.

Since 1993 Survival has been lobbying the Indian government to close the Andaman Trunk Road, believing that only the Jarawa should decide if, when and where outsiders traverse their land.

In 2002, the Indian Supreme Court ordered the closure of the road, yet it still remains open.

In 2013, following a campaign from Survival and local organization ‘Search’ to ban ‘human safaris’, the Supreme Court banned tourists from travelling along the ATR for seven weeks.

After the Andaman Authorities changed their own rules in order to allow the human safaris to continue, the Supreme Court had no choice but to reverse the ban.

In October 2017, the Andaman Authorities opened the long-awaited alternative sea route to Baratang. This sea route was supposed to stop the human safaris.

But despite the authorities’ commitment to ensuring all tourists would have to use the sea route, very few currently do, and the market in human safaris along the road is flourishing.

Survival has been calling for the Andaman authorities to clamp down on poaching and to ensure that those arrested are prosecuted.

Although in recent years many poachers have been arrested, none have been been sentenced by the courts, despite the offence carrying a prison term of up to seven years.



Tourism Observer

INDIA: Andaman And Nicobar Islands Are Worth A Visit

Andaman and Nicobar are a large group of nearly 600 islands in the Bay of Bengal. Though they are a part of India politically, they are closer to Myanmar and Thailand than to the Indian mainland.

They are grouped with Southern India. They were just north of the epicenter of the Boxing Day quake of 2004, and were the site of dozens of aftershocks.

The Nicobars were badly hit by the resulting tsunami, while the Andamans escaped with a few bruises. With the exception of Little Andaman Island and the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, the rest of the tourist destinations are operating normally again.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the seven union territories of India, are a group of islands at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

The territory is 150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea.

It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 10°N parallel, with the Andamans to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobars to the south or by 179 km.

The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west.

The territory's capital is the Andamanese town of Port Blair. The total land area of these islands is approximately 8,249 km2 (3,185 sq mi).

The capital of Nicobar Islands is Car Nicobar. The islands host the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only tri-service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces.

The Andaman Islands are home to the Sentinelese people, an uncontacted people. The Sentinelese are the only people currently known to not have reached further than a Paleolithic level of technology.

The earliest archaeological evidence documents some 2,200 years. However, genetic and cultural studies suggest that the indigenous Andamanese people may have been isolated from other populations during the Middle Paleolithic, which ended 30,000 years ago.

Since that time, the Andamanese have diversified into linguistically and culturally distinct, territorial groups.

The Nicobar Islands appear to have been populated by people of various backgrounds. By the time of European contact, the indigenous inhabitants had coalesced into the Nicobarese people, speaking a Mon-Khmer language and the Shompen, whose language is of uncertain affiliation.

Both are unrelated to the Andamanese, but being closely related to the Austroasiatic languages in mainland Southeast Asia.

On 26 December 2004 the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were devastated by a 10 m (33 ft) high tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

More than 2,000 people lost their lives, more than 4,000 children were orphaned or suffered the loss of one parent, and a minimum of 40,000 people were rendered homeless.

More than 46,000 people were injured. The worst affected Nicobar islands were Katchal and Indira Point; the latter subsided 4.25 metres (13.9 feet) and was partially submerged in the ocean.

The lighthouse at Indira Point was damaged but has been repaired since then. The territory lost a large amount of area which is now submerged.

The territory which was at 8,073 km2 (3,117 sq mi) is now at 7,950 km2 (3,070 sq mi).

While locals and tourist of the islands suffered the greatest casualties from the tsunami, most of the aboriginal people survived because oral traditions passed down from generations ago warned them to evacuate from large waves that follow large earthquakes.

There are 572 islands in the territory having an area of 8,249 km2 (3,185 sq mi). Of these, about 38 are permanently inhabited.

The islands extend from 6° to 14° North latitudes and from 92° to 94° East longitudes. The Andamans are separated from the Nicobar group by a channel the Ten Degree Channel some 150 km (93 mi) wide.

The highest point is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at 732 m (2,402 ft)).

The Andaman group has 325 islands which cover an area of 6,170 km2 (2,382 sq mi) while the Nicobar group has only 247 islands with an area of 1,765 km2 (681 sq mi).[12]:33

The capital of the union territory, Port Blair, is located 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata, 1,200 km (750 mi) from Visakhapatnam and 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai.

The northernmost point of the Andaman and Nicobars group is 901 km (560 mi) away from the mouth of the Hooghly River and 190 km (120 mi) from Myanmar.

Indira Point at 6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E at the southern tip of the southernmost island, Great Nicobar, is the southernmost point of India and lies only 150 km (93 mi) from Sumatra in Indonesia.

The only volcano in India, Barren Island, is located in Andaman and Nicobar. It is an active volcano and erupted in 2017.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have a tropical rainforest canopy, made of a mixed flora with elements from Indian, Myanmar, Malaysian and endemic floral strains.

So far, about 2,200 varieties of plants have been recorded, out of which 200 are endemic and 1,300 do not occur in mainland India.

The South Andaman forests have a profuse growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns and orchids. The Middle Andamans harbours mostly moist deciduous forests.

North Andamans is characterised by the wet evergreen type, with plenty of woody climbers.

The North Nicobar Islands including Car Nicobar and Battimalv are marked by the complete absence of evergreen forests, while such forests form the dominant vegetation in the central and southern islands of the Nicobar group.

Grasslands occur only in the Nicobars, and while deciduous forests are common in the Andamans, they are almost absent in the Nicobars. The present forest coverage is claimed to be 86.2% of the total land area.

This atypical forest coverage is made up of twelve types, namely:

- Giant evergreen forest

- Andamans tropical evergreen forest

- Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest

- Cane brakes

- Wet bamboo brakes

- Andamans semi-evergreen forest

- Andamans moist deciduous forest

- Andamans secondary moist deciduous forest

- Littoral forest

- Mangrove forest

- Brackish water mixed forest

- Submontane forest

This tropical rain forest, despite its isolation from adjacent land masses, is surprisingly rich with a diversity of animal life.

About 50 varieties of forest mammals are found to occur in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Some are endemic, including the Andaman wild boar. Rodents are the largest group with 26 species, followed by 14 species of bat.

Among the larger mammals there are two endemic varieties of wild boar, Sus scrofa andamanensis from Andaman and Sus scrofa nicobaricus from Nicobar, which are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (Sch I).

Saltwater crocodile is also found in abundance. The State Animal of Andaman is the dugong, also known as the sea cow, which can be found in Little Andaman.

Around 1962 there was an attempt to introduce the leopard, which was unsuccessful because of unsuitable habitat. These were ill-considered moves as exotic introductions can cause havoc to island flora and fauna.

About 270 species of birds are found in the territory; 14 of them are endemic, the majority to the Nicobar island group. The islands' many caves are nesting grounds for the edible-nest swiftlet, whose nests are prized in China for bird's nest soup.

The territory is home to about 225 species of butterflies and moths. Ten species are endemic to these Islands. Mount Harriet National Park is one of the richest areas of butterfly and moth diversity on these islands.

The islands are well known for prized shellfish, especially from the genera Turbo, Trochus, Murex and Nautilus. Earliest recorded commercial exploitation began during 1929.

Many cottage industries produce a range of decorative shell items. Giant clams, green mussels and oysters support edible shellfishery. The shells of scallops, clams, and cockle are burnt in kilns to produce edible lime.

There are 96 wildlife sanctuaries, nine national parks and one biosphere reserve in these islands.

As of 2011 Census of India, the population of the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was 379,944, of which 202,330 (53.25%) were male and 177,614 (46.75) were female.

The sex ratio was 878 females per 1,000 males. Only 10% of the population lived in Nicobar islands.

The areas and populations at the 2001 and 2011 Censuses of the three districts are:

- Nicobar Islands 36,842

- North and Middle Andaman 105,597

- South Andaman 238,142

- Total 380,581

Hindi and English are the official languages of the islands. Bengali is the dominant and most spoken language, with 26% of the population speaking Bengali.

The other major languages spoken in the islands are Bengali (26%) Hindi (18.23%), Tamil (17.68%), Telugu (12.81%), Malayalam (8.11%) and Nicobarese (8.05%) according to 2001 Census of India.

Other minor spoken languages are Kurukh/Oraon, Munda and Kharia. Andaman Creole Hindi is widely used as a trade language in the Andamans.

There remain approximately 400–450 indigenous Andamanese in the Andaman islands, the Jarawa and Sentinelese in particular maintaining a steadfast independence and refusing most attempts at contact.

In the Nicobar Islands, the indigenous people are the Nicobarese, or Nicobari, living throughout many of the islands, and the Shompen, restricted to the hinterland of Great Nicobar.

More than 2,000 people belonging to the Karen tribe live in the Mayabunder tehsil of North Andaman district, almost all of whom are Christians.

Despite their tribal origins, the Karen of Andamans have Other Backward Class (OBC) status in the Andamans.

The majority of people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are Hindus (69.44%), with Christians forming a large minority of 21.7% of the population, according to the 2011 census of India. There is a small but significant Muslim (8.51%) minority.

A total of 48,675 hectares (120,280 acres) of land is used for agriculture purposes. Paddy, the main food crop, is mostly cultivated in Andaman group of islands, whereas coconut and arecanut are the cash crops of Nicobar group of islands.

Field crops, namely pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are grown, followed by paddy during Rabi season. Different kinds of fruits such as mango, sapota, orange, banana, papaya, pineapple and root crops are grown on hilly land owned by farmers.

Spices such as pepper, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon are grown under a multi-tier cropping system. Rubber, red oil, palm, noni and cashew are grown on a limited scale in these islands.

There are 1,374 registered small-scale, village and handicraft units. Two units are export-oriented in the line of fish processing activity. Apart from this, there are shell and wood based handicraft units.

There are also four medium-sized industrial units. SSI units are engaged in the production of polythene bags, PVC conduit pipes and fittings, paints and varnished, fibre glass and mini flour mills, soft drinks and beverages, etc.

Small scale and handicraft units are also engaged in shell crafts, bakery products, rice milling, furniture making, etc.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation has spread its wings in the field of tourism, fisheries, industries and industrial financing and functions as authorised agents for Alliance Air/Jet Airways.

The Islands have become a tourist destination, due to the draw of their largely unspoiled virgin beaches and waters.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands are developing into a major tourism hub with exotic-looking beaches and pristine islands having equally exotic names, wonderful opportunities for adventure sports like snorkelling and sea-walking.

In Port Blair, the main places to visit are the Cellular Jail, Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Andaman Water sports complex, Chatham Saw Mill, Mini Zoo, Corbyn's cove, Chidiya Tapu, Wandoor Beach, Forest Museum, Anthropological Museum, Fisheries Museum, Naval Museum (Samudrika), Ross Island and Viper Island.

Other places include Havelock island famous for Radhanagar Beach, Neil Island for Scuba diving/snorkelling, Cinque island, Saddle peak, Mt Harriet and Mud Volcano.

The southern group Nicobar islands is mostly inaccessible to tourists.

Indian tourists do not require a permit to visit the Andaman islands but if they wish to visit any tribal areas they need a special permit from the Deputy Commissioner, Port Blair.

Permits are required for foreign nationals. For foreign nationals arriving by air, these are granted upon arrival at Port Blair.

According to official estimates, the flow of tourists doubled to nearly 300,000 in 2012 from 130,000 in 2008–09. The Radha Nagar beach of Andamans was chosen as Asia’s best Beach in 2004.

The Sisters are small uninhabited islands in the Andaman Archipelago, at the northern side of the Duncan Passage, about 6 km (3.2 nmi) southeast of Passage Island and 18 km (9.7 nmi) north of North Brother.

East Sister Island (Andaman) and West Sister Island (Andaman). The islands are about 250 metres (820 feet) apart, connected by a coral reef.

They are covered by forests, and have rocky shores except for a beach on the NW side of East Sister. They belong to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Territory of India.

Before the British established a colony on the Andaman, the Sister islands were visited occasionally by the Onge people of Little Andaman Island for fishing.

They may have been a waystation for their temporary settlement of Rutland Island between 1890 and 1930. The islands have been a wildlife refuge since 1987, with 0.36 square km of area.

Cities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands:

- Port Blair, the laid-back capital of the Andamans and the sole entry/exit point. Spend a day or two here walking around and enjoying fresh seafood and seeing a couple of the nearby sites.

- Diglipur, take a road trip to the far north of the island chain, a base for visits to nearby Ross and Smith Islands.

- Rangat

- Mayabunder

Other destinations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Havelock Island, the most visited of the islands, with the most, although still minimal infrastructure. Beautiful beaches, great snorkeling and scuba diving.

Rutland Island, is pristine, non-polluted and least visited island. Beautiful Mangrove forest and coral reefs welcomes you to the 274 sq.km island.

There is also a 45 acre Totani Resort which has quaint little huts which can be used as a base camp for exploring the island. It is the ideal place for eco-tourists.

Neil Island, quieter than Havelock with nice beaches and decent snorkeling.

Wandoor, a relaxed destination in its own right, but known more as the gateway to the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park.

There is a newly setup luxury resort called Sea Princess Beach Resort. Easily reached, and near the Wandoor jetty is Anugama Resort, the newest property there.

Baratang Island, Mud volcano, Limestone caves not worth watching, and Mangrove creeks in back waters. Total journey is very hectic. Road condition is very bad. The boat charge from Baratang to limestone cave is 800/- per passenger.

Barren Island, an island with the only volcano in all of India.

Long Island, great if you're looking for Robinson Crusoe style camping. You can bring all of your own gear and food but there is new establishment called Blue Planet with decent huts and foods. This is the only resort in the island as of January 2015.

Little Andaman, once popular for surfing, it was devastated in the 2004 tsunami. Ask around in Port Blair to find out the current situation.

Jolly Buoy Island, a small island, is a part of the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park. It is undoubtedly the best place for snorkeling with its extremely clear waters and a rich and diverse marine life.

It has a small beach with thatched huts and the location is quiet scenic. To reach here, one has to first go to Wandoor and then take a jetty from there.

Prior to going, one has to get the permission from the forest department office at Port Blair, charge is Rs 50/- per head. Boat charge is 750/- per head. Glass bottom boat watching is extra 600/- per person for 1 hr.

It is worth watching the undersea. Jolly Buoy is open from December to May.

1400 km from mainland India and 1000 km from Thailand, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are one of the most remote spots on the planet.

The original inhabitants are various aboriginal tribes who exist more-or-less out of the mainstream. There are some tribes who have had no contact whatsoever with the rest of the world.

Of nearly 600 islands, only 9 are open to foreign tourists, and all of these are in the Andamans.

The islands exist in India's popular consciousness mainly because they were used as a penal colony by the British rulers to imprison rebels and freedom fighters, in addition to hardened criminals.

Most of the inhabitants of these islands are in fact migrants from the mainland, some of them descended from the prisoners.

During World War II, the Andamans were the only part of India briefly occupied by the Japanese. While notionally handed over to Subhash Chandra Bose's Free India, in practice the Japanese held the reins of power.

The territory was run brutally suspected resistance members were tortured and executed, and when food started to run out towards the end of the war, people were deported to uninhabited islands to fend for themselves as best they could.

Mid-January until mid-May sees the best weather, and often the best diving conditions. The days are mostly sunny at this time of year, and the sea sometimes flat enough to reflect the clouds.

The monsoon usually hits around late May, lasting until the end of July, and is probably the worst time to visit the islands – strong winds, frequent rain and low visibility underwater.

August through November some occasional showers and slightly rougher seas are possible but diving can still be great at this time of year. The weather often takes a turn for the worse for the month of December through early January.

Andaman has a moderate temperature all through the year within the range of 23 degrees to 31 degree celsius. It has tropical climate, there are no severe climate conditions except for tropical storms and rains in late Summer and Monsoon.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands stretch out almost 500 km in length, with the Andamans in the north and the Nicobars in the south.

The main island, aptly known as Great Andaman, is divided into 3 portions - North Andaman, Middle Andaman and South Andaman. Port Blair is located on South Andaman.

The dominant language in the Andamans is Bengali. Tamil, Telugu, English and Hindi are widely understood by the inhabitants of the islands that are open to tourism.

Non-Indians need a Restricted Area Permit to visit the islands, but these are now issued on arrival at the Port Blair airport.

If you plan to arrive by sea, you'll need to arrange your permit before arrival, either in Chennai or when applying for your Indian visa.

Visitors usually receive a 30 day permit, although some travellers arriving without a confirmed flight back have only received a 15 day permit.

Ask for the full 30 days in your application; if you write in your return flight date, your permit will be issued to end on that date, which will cause unnecessary pain if you choose to extend your stay or, worse yet, get unexpectedly delayed by weather.

Permits can be extended by 15 days in Port Blair, for a maximum single stay of 45 days, although this extension is granted only in, to quote the local police guidelines, deserving cases.

You must then leave the islands and can return after 72 hours. The permit is checked when arriving at most islands, checking into hotels and booking ferries, and must be surrendered when you leave the islands, so don't lose it.

The permit allows overnight stays in the following locations:

- South Andaman Island,

- Middle Andaman Island

- Little Andaman Island except tribal reserves

- Neil Island

- Havelock Island

- Long Island

- Diglipur

- Baratang

- North Passage and islands in the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park excluding Boat Hobday Island

- Twin Island

- Tarmugli Island

- Malay Island

- Pluto Island.

Overnight stays in the park are with permission only.

The permit allows for day-trips to:

- South Cinque Island

- Ross Island

- Narcondum Island

- Interview Island

- Brother Island

- Sister Island

- Barren Island which can be visited on board vessels only with landing possible.

Indian nationals do not require a permit to visit the Andamans. However, permits are required to visit Nicobar Islands and other tribal areas, which are rarely given.

Application on a prescribed form may be addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Andaman District, Port Blair.

Andaman’s airport is at Port Blair. it's connected to Chennai, Kolkata and other cities in the country. Jet and Air India are the most important flights operators for Andaman.

Throughout the tourer seasons discounted airfares also are provided by the airlines. the price of the tickets is usually cheap, particularly if reserved earlier.

The only way to reach the Andamans by air is from the Indian mainland. Flights can fill up in peak season and immigration doesn't look kindly on people arriving without confirmed flights back.

So book a return ticket and change the flight date if you decide to hang around longer.

- Air India flies from Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

- Jet Airways now flies from Chennai to Port Blair, and from Delhi via Kolkata.

- Spicejet, offers a flight direct from Chennai to Port Blair.

- Go Air now flies daily from Kolkata to Port Blair, and from Delhi via Kolkata.

Flights to Port Blair are not really low-cost, if compared to the same airlines' mainland India flights, but still cheaper than any other way to get to islands.

Price varies significantly with date, so if your travel dates aren't fixed, you can save significantly by choosing the right day to fly.

Advance booking is available on respective airline's website at least several days before trip is recommended.

Port Blair's Vir Savarkar Airport is probably one of the most quaint and idyllic airports in India. There is a scenic view point where the whole airport can be seen.

There are no night flights as the airport is handed over to the Indian Air Force after 3pm.

It is possible to take a ship from Kolkata (~60 hrs), Chennai or Visakhapatnam which takes almost 4 days to arrive in Port Blair.

It is less expensive. Facilities are basic, though and many prefer to sleep on the deck rather than in the cramped bunks.

The ferries can take up to five days to arrive depending on weather and various other variables, this can be quite frustrating for many.

Andaman and Nicobar are a vast archipelago, and aside from some erratic, infrequent and expensive helicopter shuttles and a pricy seaplane service to Havelock Island, passenger ferries are the only way to get between the islands.

There is also the Infiniti Liveaboard that makes trips to destinations such as Cinque, Barren, Narcondam and other islands.

All passenger transport in the islands is handled by the government-run Directorate of Shipping Services (DSS), which also runs the ferries back to the mainland.

The DSS operates basically two kinds of vessels: small tourist ferries, and larger local ferries. Despite the names, fares are more or less identical on both, at Rs.150-200 one way from Port Blair to Havelock Island.

Tourist ferries seat about 100 people in padded bucket seats in a notionally air-conditioned cabin which can still get sweltering hot.

While you can access the top deck, there are no seats, shade or shelter outside. These boats are faster and seaworthy, but top-heavy, and sway quite a bit in high seas. There is no canteen on board, so bring snacks or at least drinks.

Local ferries are considerably larger, seating up to 400 in two levels: padded bunk or luxury seating upstairs, and plain old benches on the deck downstairs.

Neither class is air-conditioned, but ocean breezes keep temperatures tolerable, and a canteen dishes out chai or tea, samosas and bottled water.

Due to their larger size, they're more stable in heavy seas, but take about twice as long as tourist ferries to get anywhere.

There's a new a/c catamaran ferry from Port Blair to Havelock.

Tickets are 650, 750 or 1000 which gets you a leather seat and your own tv and can be booked from a dedicated ticket booking window at Port Blair, thus avoiding the queue barging, and through your guesthouse or wild orchid, emerald gecko & andaman bubbles on Havelock.

In high season demand often exceeds supply, so book your tickets at least one day in advance, either through a travel agent or directly at Port Blair's harbour.

Ferry ticket booking has now been computerised. This means you can book any ferry from any jetty - i.e. Rangat to Havelock from the Diglipur ferry jetty.

This obviously depends on the computers working. Services may be changed or cancelled at short notice due to inclement weather, notably cyclones in the Bay of Bengal.

If you're prone to sea-sickness, pop a pill an hour before you get on board.

Auto-rickshaws are available in Port Blair and on Havelock Island.

Taxis are available in Port Blair. Drivers double up as guides. A.c. taxis are also available.

Scooters & Motorcycles used to be available for rent in Port Blair, however, its not very easy to get one now.

Auto-rickshaws may be the best way to move around the city. However, in Havelock Island they are the best option to enjoy a ride to the Radhanagar beach or around. It may cost you around Rs. 150 - Rs. 250 per day with a security deposit of around Rs. 750 - Rs. 1000.

Among the many islands that make up the archipelago, 72 km2 North Sentinel Island is somewhat unique in that it is illegal to visit in order to protect the indigenous Sentinelese tribe.

Despite numerous attempts at contact, the Sentinelese have resisted typically violently outside influences, and as a result the Indian government has decided not to pursue further attempts.

Today, it is illegal to visit the island, both to grant the tribe their privacy and to avoid accidentally introducing disease into the native population.

Most people come here for the beaches and the scuba diving, especially on Havelock Island and Neil Island.

The only place with historical attractions of note is Port Blair, which houses both British-era colonial buildings, including the notorious Cellular Jail, and a few World War II bunkers dating from the brief Japanese occupation.

Neil Island, It is an amazing beautiful island with lush green forests and sandy beaches. This island is located at a distance of around 36 kms from the Port Blair. This is a perfect outing and holiday destination for the Eco-tourists.

Some people come to see members of the Jarawa Tribe. However, this is not recommended as contact with the outside world can be dangerous to the Jarawas' health.

Groups such as Survival International encourage people to stay away from the reserve that they inhabit.

Activities in Andaman and Nicobar Islands:

Scuba diving - Havelock Island is the main dive destination, but the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park has reopened. South Cinque Island is another possibility, enquire at Anugama Resort at Wandoor.

One of the dive shops on Havelock was talking about opening a shop in Diglipur soon, which would open up newly discovered sites.

The best dive sites in the Andamans are in very remote locations and accessible via a liveaboard. The dive sites around Havelock are actually very ordinary by Andamans standards.

The best diving in the Andamans is: Barren Island, an active volcano, Narcondam Island an extinct volcano, Invisible Bank an extensive seamount approx.

100 miles Southeast of Port Blair and 4 spectacular but un-named sea mounts off the west coast. There is also a good wreck dive just south of North Brother Island.

There is one regular liveaboard in the Andaman Islands - the Infiniti Liveaboard, and it is the best way to get around. Its brand new & fully equipped, though a little expensive but well worth the money for the comfort & adventure.

Snorkeling - A traditional attraction of the Andamans but the 2010 El Nino sadly resulted in the destruction of most of the coral. As at 2016, there are signs of recovery but the snorkeling is not good.

Regardless, the best spots are Jolly Buoy which is most recommended, North Bay, Mua Terra Beach and Havelock Island. Equipment is cheap, and can be bought or rented at North Bay for 100 Rs.

The price for Snorkeling at various locations is about 500 Rs (for ~15 min.) and 1000 Rs (for ~25 min.).

Surfing is great on Little Andaman Island

Scan corals reefs in glass bottom boats off Jolly Buoy Island, at the Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park at Wandoor, 29 km from Port Blair.

Check out India's only active volcano on Barren Island, for some magnificent volcanic diving.

Take the Andaman Trunk Road, and be the zipping-in-the-car-idiot to the curious Jarawas. The ride is long, but the journey that takes you through some gorgeous reserve forests and up to Maya Bunder and beyond, is worth it.

Revisit Havelock just to taste the red Snapper in Burmese garlic sauce at Benny and Lynda's Wild Orchid Beach Resort.

Narcondam Island a dormant volcano is spectacular volcanic diving spot.

Make a new list. Add scuba diving and sea cow spotting. Do some moon-bathing while planktons swim in a phosphorescent sea.

Seafood is the order of the day. From upscale restaurants in Port Blair to local dhabas on Havelock, fish abounds.

Be prepared to pay a little more for good fish and seafood dishes than for standard indian food, but it's well worth it. Basic Indian food is also available, and as cheap as on the mainland in most of the small dhabas.

Resort restaurants on Havelock can also whip up a limited set of more or less Western dishes, but the resort restaurants are pretty expensive for Indian standards. Fresh Crab & Tuna can be enjoyed here.

Fresh coconuts are popular and widely available.

Alcohol is available in some restaurants and at English Beer & Wine Shops in Port Blair and on Havelock Island. The beers will not be cold when purchasing across the counter,except in local bars.

Local bars are dingy and for some odd reason is very poorly lit giving it a very eerie feel to it. There is no Pub culture or even a Dance Club.

There are a variety of hotels around the islands which are run by Andaman & Nicobar Tourism. You can book all A&N tourism hotels both in person at A&N tourism in Port Blair, by phone, online, or email.

The Andamans are a fairly safe destination. Tourism is still in its early stages which makes it almost hassle free. That said, you should keep your wits about you as you would anywhere.

The Andaman Islands are the home of some of the last un-contacted tribes of Eurasia. These tribes have resisted modernization for some time. An example is the Sentinelese tribe, who inhabit North Sentinel Island.

They maintain their sovereignty over the island and are hostile towards outsiders. However, as a tourist, you will go nowhere near them, so this is not really an issue. Actually, the Indian government bans entry into the island.

Saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) are present within suitable habitat throughout the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

While attacks on locals do occur every year within the island chain, the only attack on a foreigner within recent history occurred off the coast of Havelock Island in April of 2010.

While saltwater crocodiles generally remain within the rivers and coastal mangrove swamps, they do occasionally travel within the open ocean, as was the case in this attack. Attacks on humans in the ocean are very rare.

The main crocodile populations are around Little Andaman Island (Northern and Western sides), Interview Island and in the narrow straits that seperate the main islands MacPhearson Strait, Andaman Strait, Homfrey Strait and Austen Strait.

Crocodile populations are also known from many of the Nicobar Islands.

Andaman and Nicobar are malarial, although generally no more so than mainland India.

The Indian country code applies here (91) and the area code for the entire Andamans is (3192).

Mobile phone coverage nominally exists on many islands, but the coverage is poor and dropped signals are the norm.

State owned BSNL, and private operators Airtel and Vodafone-Essar are the operators providing mobile services there. Landlines are frequent in Port Blair, but more erratic as you move around the islands.

Internet access is slow but tolerable in Port Blair,BSNL EVDO Sticks on CDMA Technology Works the best with Speed upto 1 Mbps,Bsnl 3g Gives speed around 100 kbps and ADSL is un-serviceable most of the times.

Private Players like Airtel,Vodafone offers Internet Acess Through GPRS & EDGE which is pathetically Slow.

Reliance Internet Only works in the City but slow. Project for Inter Connectivity of Islands with Underwater international Chennai-Singapore marine cable is under Consideration.Once finished will offer Seamless and fast connectivity .

Tourism is still relatively new on the Andamans and as such the traveler has a special responsibility in guiding its developement. Leave the bikinis on the beach.

Remember that this is India and local women are very conservative in their attire. Alcohol should be consumed on the premises of your hotel only.

The quiet and peacefulness of the islands are one of their best assets; help to maintain these.

Good places to visit:

- Neil Island

- Havelock Island

- Long Island

- Diglipur

- Baratang

- Phuket which is not far, in Thailand

- Lakshadweep another Indian island



Tourism Observer

Andaman Sea

The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar (Burma), west of Thailand, north-west of Malay Peninsula, north of Sumatra and east of the Andaman Islands, India, from which it takes its name; it is part of the Indian Ocean.

The sea has been traditionally used for fishery and transportation of goods between the coastal countries and its coral reefs and islands are popular tourist destinations. The fishery and tourist infrastructure was severely damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

At its southeastern reaches, the Andaman Sea narrows to form the Straits of Malacca, which separate the Malay Peninsula from the island of Sumatra.

The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the "Andaman or Burma Sea" as follows:

On the Southwest. A line running from Oedjong Raja in Sumatra to Poeloe Bras (BreuEh) and on through the Western Islands of the Nicobar Group to Sandy Point in Little Andaman Island, in such a way that all the narrow waters appertain to the Burma Sea.

On the Northwest. The Eastern limit of the Bay of Bengal [A line running from Cape Negrais in Myanmar through the larger islands of the Andaman group, in such a way that all the narrow waters between the islands lie to the Eastward of the line and are excluded from the Bay of Bengal, as far as a point in Little Andaman Island in latitude 10°48'N, longitude.

On the Southeast. A line joining Lem Voalan (7°47'N) in Siam [Thailand], and Pedropunt (5°40'N) in Sumatra.

The average depth of the sea is about 1,000 meters. The northern and eastern parts are shallower than 180 meters (590 feet) due to the silt deposited by the Irrawaddy River. This major river flows into the sea from the north through Myanmar. The western and central areas are 900–3,000 meters deep (3,000–10,000 ft). Less than 5% of the sea is deeper than 3,000 meters (9,800 feet), and in a system of submarine valleys east of the Andaman-Nicobar Ridge, the depth exceeds 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).The sea floor is covered with pebbles, gravel and sand.

Running in a rough north–south line on the seabed of the Andaman Sea is the boundary between two tectonic plates, the Burma Plate and the Sunda Plate. These plates (or microplates) are believed to have formerly been part of the larger Eurasian Plate, but were formed when transform fault activity intensified as the Indian Plate began its substantive collision with the Eurasian continent. As a result, a back-arc basin center was created, which began to form the marginal basin which would become the Andaman Sea, the current stages of which commenced approximately 3–4 million years ago.

The boundary between two major tectonic plates results in high seismic activity in the region (see List of earthquakes in Indonesia). Numerous earthquakes have been recorded, and at least six, in 1797, 1833, 1861, 2004, 2005 and 2007, had the magnitude of 8.4 or higher. On December 26, 2004, a large portion of the boundary between the Burma Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate slipped, causing the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

This megathrust earthquake had a magnitude of 9.3. Between 1300 and 1600 kilometers of the boundary underwent thrust faulting and shifted by about 20 meters, with the sea floor being uplifted several meters.This rise in the sea floor generated a massive tsunami with an estimated height of 28 meters (92 feet)that killed approximately 280,000 people along the coast of the Indian Ocean.

The initial quake was followed by a series of aftershocks along the arc of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The entire event severely damaged the fishing infrastructure.

Within the sea, to the east of the main Great Andaman island group, lies Barren Island, the only presently active volcano associated with the Indian subcontinent. This island-volcano is 3 km (2 mi) in diameter and rises 354 meters above the sea level. Its recent activity resumed in 1991 after a quiet period of almost 200 years.

It is caused by the ongoing subduction of the India Plate beneath the Andaman island arc, which forces magma to rise in this location of the Burma Plate. The last eruption has started on 13 May 2008 and still continues.The volcanic island of Narcondam which lies further to the north was also formed by this process; however, no records exist of its activity.

The climate and water salinity of the Andaman Sea are mostly determined by the monsoons of southeast Asia. Air temperature is stable over the year at 26 °C in February and 27 °C in August. Precipitation is as high as 3,000 mm/year and mostly occurs in summer. Sea currents are south-easterly and easterly in winter and south-westerly and westerly in summer.

The average surface water temperature is 26–28 °C in February and 29 °C in May. The water temperature is constant at 4.8 °C at the depths of 1,600 m and below. Salinity is 31.5–32.5‰ (parts per thousand) in summer and 30.0–33.0‰ in winter in the southern part. In the northern part, it decreases to 20–25‰ due to the inflow of fresh water from the Irrawaddy River. Tides are semidiurnal (i.e. rising twice a day) with the amplitude of up to 7.2 meters.

The coastal areas of the Andaman Sea are characterized by mangrove forests and seagrass meadows. Mangroves cover between more than 600 km2 (232 sq mi) of the Thai shores of Malay Peninsula whereas seagrass meadows occupy an area of 79 km2 (31 sq mi).

Mangroves are largely responsible for the high productivity of the coastal waters – their roots trap soil and sediment and provide shelter from predators and nursery for fish and small aquatic organisms. Their body protects the shore from the wind and waves, and their detritus are a part of the aquatic food chain.

A significant part of the Thai mangrove forests in the Andaman Sea was removed during the extensive brackish water shrimp. Mangroves were also significantly damaged by the 2004 tsunami. They were partly replanted after that, but their area is still gradually decreasing due to human activities.

Other important sources of nutrients in the Andaman Sea are seagrass and the mud bottoms of lagoons and coastal areas. They also create a habitat or temporal shelter for many burrowing and benthic organisms. Many aquatic species migrate from and to seagrass either daily or at certain stages of their life cycle.

The human activities which damage seagrass beds include waste water discharge from coastal industry, shrimp farms and other forms of coastal development, as well as trawling and the use of push nets and dragnets. The 2004 tsunami affected 3.5% of seagrass areas along the Andaman Sea via siltation and sand sedimentation and 1.5% suffered total habitat loss.

The sea waters along the Malay Peninsula favor molluscan growth, and there are about 280 edible fish species belonging to 75 families. Of those, 232 species (69 families) are found in mangroves and 149 species (51 families) reside in seagrass; so 101 species are common to both habitats.

The sea also hosts many vulnerable fauna species, including dugong (Dugong dugon), several dolphin species, such as Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) and four species of sea turtles: critically endangered leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) and hawksbill turtle (Eletmochelys imbricata) and threatened green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). There are only about 150 dugongs in the Andaman Sea, scattered between Ranong and Satun Provinces. These species are sensitive to the degradation of seagrass meadows.

Coral reefs are estimated to occupy 73,364 rai in the Andaman Sea with only 6.4 percent in ideal condition.

The sea has long been used for fishing and transportation of goods between the coastal countries. Thailand alone harvested about 943,000 tonnes of fish in 2005 and about 710,000 tonnes in 2000. Of those 710,000 tonnes, 490,000 are accounted for by trawling (1,017 vessels), 184,000 by purse seine (415 vessels), and about 30,000 by gillnets. The production numbers are significantly smaller for Malaysia and are comparable, or higher, for Myanmar.

Competition for fish resulted in numerous conflicts between Myanmar and Thailand. In 1998 and 1999, they resulted in fatalities on both sides and nearly escalated into a military conflict. In both cases, the Thai navy intervened when Burmese vessels tried to intercept Thai fishing boats in the contested sea areas, and Thai fighter aircraft were thought to be deployed by the National Security Council.

Thai fishing boats were also frequently confronted by the Malaysian navy to the extent that the Thai government had to caution its own fishers against fishing without license in foreign waters.

The 2004 marine production in Thailand was composed of: pelagic fish 33%, demersal fish 18%, cephalopod 7.5%, crustaceans 4.5%, trash fish 30% and others 7%.Trash fish refers to non-edible species, edible species of low commercial value and juveniles, which are released to the sea.

Pelagic fishes were distributed between anchovies (Stolephorus spp., 19%), Indo-Pacific mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma, 18%), sardinellas (Sardinellars spp., 14%), scad (11%), longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol, 9%), eastern little tuna (Euthynnus affinis, 6%), trevallies (6%), bigeye scad (5%), Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta, 4%), king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla, 3%), torpedo scad (Megalaspis cordyla , 2%), wolf herrings (1%) and others (2%).Demersal fish production was dominated by purple-spotted bigeye (Priacanthus tayenus), threadfin bream (Nemipterus hexodon), brushtooth lizardfish (Saurida undosquamis), slender lizardfish (Saurida elongata) and Jinga shrimp (Metapenaeus affinis).

Most species are overfished since the 1970s–1990s, except for Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commersoni), carangidae and torpedo scad (Meggalaspis spp.). The overall overfishing rate was 333% for pelagic and 245% for demersal species in 1991.Cephalopods are divided into squid, cuttlefish and molluscs, where squid and cuttlefish in Thai waters consists of 10 families, 17 genera and over 30 species.

The main mollusk species captured in the Andaman Sea are scallop, blood cockle (Anadara granosa) and short-necked clam. Their collection requires bottom dredge gears, which damage the sea floor and the gears themselves and are becoming unpopular. So, the mollusk production has decreased from 27,374 tonnes in 1999 to 318 tonnes in 2004. While crustaceans composed only 4.5% of the total marine products in 2004 by volume, they accounted for 21% of the total value.

They were dominated by banana prawn, tiger prawn, king prawn, school prawn, bay lobster (Thenus orientalis), mantis shrimp, swimming crabs and mud crabs. The total catch in 2004 was 51,607 tonnes for squid and cuttlefish and 36,071 tonnes for crustaceans.

The sea’s mineral resources include tin deposits off the coasts of Malaysia and Thailand. Major ports are Dawei, Mawlamyine, Mergui, Pathein and Yangon in Myanmar; George Town and Penang in Malaysia; and Belawan in Indonesia.

The Andaman Sea, particularly the western coast of the Malay Peninsula, is rich in coral reefs and offshore islands with spectacular topography, such as Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, Ko Tapu and islands of Krabi Province. Despite having been devastated by the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami, they remain popular tourist destinations.

The nearby coast also has numerous marine national parks – 16 only in Thailand, and four of them are candidates for inclusion into UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Andaman Islands To Open This Year At Havelock Island

Taj Hotels will make its debut in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands this year, when it opens a new luxury resort on a private beach at Havelock Island, the archipelago’s most popular tourist area.

Scheduled to launch this autumn, the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Andaman Islands will become one of the only big brand hotels in the Bay of Bengal island chain. Pitched at the highest end of the market, the property will feature 75 villas, including a 743m² presidential villa, plus its own private beach.

The new resort is being designed in the low-rise style of traditional Jarawa huts, reflecting the villages of one of the Andaman tribes.

The decision by Taj to open in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands reflects an upswing in tourism to the remote Indian archipelago; several airlines – most recently Vistara – have launched additional flights to the islands’ capital, Port Blair, in recent months. Havelock Island is accessible from Port Blair via ferry and seaplane.

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Andaman Islands will join existing Taj Exotica-branded resorts in other key beach destinations including Goa and the Maldives.