Mangrovesare popular as fish nurseries and natures DEFENCE systems. In Goa, they are a perfect setting foruniquecelebrations, crocodile worship and boat festivals even as their potential for honey, vegetables and medicinal benefits need to be explored.
Making a case for comprehensive mapping of MANGROVES and identifying their importance in various aspects with other activists, Fr Bolmax Pereira, a botanist and priest, suggested conservation status for the Kandella candel as a state mangrove species.
The study urged marking of mangrove sites with Avicennia spp, Aegicera and Sonneratia caseolaris species for mangrove honey, areas with Acrostichum aureum species (akur) a vegetable delicacy, and potential mangrove pharmacy sites.