Vembanad Lake (9° 34' 60 N, 76° 25' 0 E) is a transitional ecotone between sea and land having a length of 96 km and a surface area of 1512 km2. The rich biodiversity and socio economic importance, of Vembanad lake along with adjacent kole lands led to the declaration of the lake as a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance. Ten rivers which originate from the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot drain to the lake and eventually join the Arabian Sea. The mangrove patches and islands in the lake like Pathiramanal also provide habitat for resident and seasonal migratory water fowl, otters, fish, clams, shrimps, crabs, aquatic insects and other aquatic organisms. The lake is also famous for its tourism potential, live clam resources and sub-fossil shell deposits, as a habitat for the vulnerable spot billed pelican Pelicanus philippensis, large populations of water fowls, besides a high species diversity of finfish and shellfish (WWF 2002). One hundred and fifty species of fish belonging to 100 genera and 56 families are known to occur in Vembanad Lake (Kurup and Samuel 1985). Extensive water and land remodeling efforts in Vembanad Lake has drastically changed the lake's water and landscapes, altering natural habitats of many terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora. Past economic, agricultural and industrial development has overlooked the importance and necessity of conservation and management of natural resources.