The invasive fish sucker catfish is spreading in the Vembanad Lake, posing a threat to native fish. Invasive fish species such as sucker fish, pacu and pearl gourami were found during the Vembanad fish census. Although sucker fish have been found in the Vembanad Lake before, it has been found that they are now reproducing in a way that is adversely affecting the survival of native fish. Sucker fish were found in large numbers during the floods of 2009 and 2018.

The concern around green credits is that they rely on tree survival instead of preservation of ecosystems, which may incentivise plantations, as highlighted by Gautam Aredath, a policy analyst from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).

“The idea that destruction of a single contiguous 937-hectare patch of dense forest can be offset by 23 fragmented patches in a completely different ecological zone is untenable,” said Sharachchandra Lele, distinguished fellow at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. “The FAC itself notes that a majority of the land already has forest cover. How this qualifies as ‘afforestation’ is unclear.”