With turquoise water, coconut palms and reefs just offshore, St. Martin’s Island looks like a postcard. Behind the view is a delicate ecosystem that is struggling to cope with the crowds, plastic and rising seas around it. As the island reopens to visitors for the 2026-27 season, the question is whether Bangladesh can welcome tourists and protect the only coral island it has.
Why St. Martin’s Island Matters
St. Martin’s Island sits in the northeastern Bay of Bengal, about 9 kilometres south of Teknaf, and is Bangladesh’s only coral-bearing island. The government declared it an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999. The surrounding 1,743 square kilometres of sea were later declared a marine protected area.
Surveys in 2010 recorded 153 species of seaweed, 66 species of coral, 187 species of oysters, 240 species of fish and 120 species of birds. The island also supports mangroves, lagoons and rocky areas. Olive ridley turtles nest on its beaches, and hawksbill and green turtles have also been recorded there.
A Small Island Under Heavy Pressure
The threats are well documented. Researchers point to unplanned building, loss of mangroves, shell and stone collection, garbage dumping and large tourist numbers. Coral pieces are removed from the reef and sold to visitors as souvenirs.
An earlier study found that the island could hardly cope with 900 tourists a day, yet nearly 6,000 people stayed overnight in peak season. In a survey of stakeholders, 90% named coral reef damage as an immediate concern. Climate change was seen as the biggest long-term threat, and rising sea temperatures are a serious danger to the reefs.
The Turtle Story
Turtles show how fragile the island has become. Reports say turtles once laid eggs where jetties now stand, and hatchlings are often drawn away from the sea by lights along the beach. According to the United Nations Development Programme, no hatchling survived on the island’s beaches for nearly two decades. A protected hatchery project now aims to shield eggs from predators and flooding, giving the species a new chance.
Learning From a Tourism Pause
Bangladesh has begun testing a controlled tourism model. Tourism was limited to a three-month window that drew about 117,000 visitors, followed by a nine-month closure from 1 February 2026. The Department of Environment’s Cox’s Bazar director said the controlled model was already showing results, with biodiversity showing signs of healing.
New Rules for the 2026-27 Season
The island reopened on 1 November 2026 and stays open until 15 March 2027. Key conditions include:
- An average cap of 3,500 visitors a day
- A Tk 100 environmental conservation fee for each tourist
- No tourist vessel allowed to sail without approval from the relevant authorities
- Day trips only in November, with overnight stays reported to resume from December
- Strict limits on polythene and single-use plastics
The cap is higher than last season’s limit of 2,000 a day. That is a trade-off worth watching, because a number that suits hotels and boat operators may still be too high for a reef that is only starting to recover.
What Real Protection Will Take
Rules on paper are not enough. A study of stakeholders found that weak enforcement, mixed government policies and poverty were major obstacles to conservation. Islanders who depend on fishing and tourism need other sources of income, or protection will always compete with livelihoods.
Conservation experts and officials point to a few priorities:
- Strict enforcement of visitor caps and plastic bans
- A ban on buying or selling coral and shells
- Dark, turtle-friendly beaches during nesting season
- Proper waste and sewage management
- Local jobs linked to conservation, such as guiding and hatchery work
The Choice Ahead
St. Martin’s Island is a small piece of land with a very large role. It shelters corals, turtles and fish that exist nowhere else in Bangladesh. Visitors can help by skipping coral souvenirs, carrying out their rubbish and respecting the rules. The island’s future will depend on whether the cap, the fee and the closed season are enforced strictly each year.
