India’s First Dugong Conservation Reserve

Tamil Nadu state government has announced to set up India’s first dugong conservation reserve at the northern part of the Palk Bay.

About Dugong

• The dugong (Dugong dugon), also called the sea cow, is herbivorous mammal.
• They can grow upto three meters long, weigh about 300 kilograms, and live for about 65 to 70 years.
• They graze on seagrass and come to the surface to breathe.
• They are found in over 30 countries and in India are seen in the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Conservation Status

• Dugongs are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Internationally, dugongs are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibits the trade of the species and its parts.
• Dugongs are protected in India under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act 1972 which bans the killing and purchasing of dugong meat.

Threat

• The loss of ‘seagrass’ habitats, water pollution, and degradation of the coastal ecosystem due to developmental activities, have made life tough for these slow-moving animals.
• Dugongs are also victims of accidental entanglement in fishing nets and collision with boats, trawlers.