Why in news?
India's first Dugong Conservation Reserve located in Palk Bay (448 sq km), Tamil Nadu, received formal global recognition by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the World Conservation Congress 2025.
About Dugong
- Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are the only living members of the family Dugongidae and are closely related to manatees.
- Adults can reach about 3 m in length and several hundred kilograms in weight, feeding almost exclusively on seagrass, which is why they are popularly called “sea cows.”
- Help in carbon sequestration in coastal habitats
- Total population estimates vary between 200 and 450 individuals, concentrated mainly in Palk Bay-Gulf of Mannar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Gulf of Kutch.
Major Threats
- Loss and degradation of seagrass habitats due to coastal development and pollution
- Accidental entanglement in fishing nets, Boat collisions and human disturbances
- Slow reproduction rate, females reproduce once every several years
Conservation and Protection
- Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
- Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in India
- National dugong recovery programme with Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Andaman & Nicobar
- Community awareness and scientific monitoring ongoing
- India is signatory to international agreements like the CMS Dugong MoU for protection
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