First ever Dugong reserve in India to help protect species

Dugong

Dugongs are the large marine mammal and they spend their entire lives in water. They are so large that they reach a maximum height of 3 metres and a weight of 500 kg. They remain submerged in water and they use their front legs to swim. They are vulnerable because they are hunted for their meat, skin, and horns.

Based on newly released research, the Dugong (Sea Cow) is the first large vertebrate to become extinct in China’s coastal seas. Beginning around the middle of the 1970s, the population of these Sea Cows began to decline rapidly.

Dugong cow of the sea

Dugong conservation reserve

• On India’s southeast coast, Tamil Nadu has established India’s first dugong conservation reserve in the Gulf of Mannar and the nearby Palk Bay.
• The reserve will cover 500 square kilometres in Palk Bay on Tamil Nadu’s southeast coast. 
• It is a flagship species in the region, found along the Tamil Nadu coast between India and Sri Lanka.

Conservation Status

• IUCN status: Vulnerable 
• Also included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which makes the trade of the species and its components illegal.
• In India, they are protected under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act 1972, which prohibits the slaughter and sale of their flesh.
• Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS): Appendix I

Dugongs 

• The Dugong, often known as the sea cow, is a herbivorous mammal. They may reach three metres in length, weigh 300 kilogrammes, and live for 65 to 70 years, feeding on seagrass and rising to the surface to breathe.
• They are long-lived creatures with a low reproductive rate and a long generation time and make a heavy investment for each offspring.
• It is the only living member of the family Dugongidae and the only herbivorous mammal that is exclusively marine.
• They may be spotted in over 30 nations, which includes India’s Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies the species as Vulnerable.
• The loss of seagrass beds, water pollution, and coastal ecosystem degradation caused by construction activities have made life difficult for these slow-moving creatures. They are frequently killed through entrapment in fishing nets and collisions with vessels and trawlers.
• Included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which makes the trade of the species and its components illegal.
• In India, they are protected under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Act 1972, which prohibits the slaughter and sale of their flesh.
• Elephants are considered to be their closest relatives. 
• Unlike dolphins and other cetaceans, sea cows have two nostrils and no dorsal fin.

Dugong Conservation Efforts in India

• Dugong conservation reserve: In 2022, the government of Tamil Nadu created India’s first dugong conservation reserve in the Gulf of Mannar and the surrounding Palk Bay on the southeast coast of the country.
• Species Recovery Programme: The Sea Cow is among the 16 terrestrial and seven aquatic species recognized by this programme. This initiative tries to conserve species/ecosystems on the verge of extinction in order to assure their conservation outside Protected Areas within a broader landscape/seascape.
• Task Force for Conservation of Dugongs: It was established by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to protect and manage India’s dwindling Dugong populations. It was tasked with investigating all problems relating to dugong conservation and execution of the UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU in India. It had proposed a Conservation and Management Plan for Indian dugongs and their habitats.
• Seagrass ecosystems in India: According to the Coastal Regulation Zone Act of 1986, they are classed as ecologically sensitive areas.
• Dugong and Seagrass Conservation Project: It was created in 2016 by the Global Economic Facility (GEF) and the United Countries Environment Programme (UNEP) for eight nations in the Indo-Pacific, excluding India, to protect and manage the diminishing populations.

Physical Description

The body structure

They move slowly and use a crescent-shaped tail and flippers to propel themselves. They may reach a maximum height of 3 metres and a weight of 500 kg. The hair on the body is irregularly distributed, and the skin is thick, robust, and smooth. The fissure in the top lip protrudes across the mouth. The animal’s mouth angles downward, allowing it to graze on the seafloor. Males are found to have tusks.

Family Order of Dugong

The sole species in the genus Dugong that belongs to the order Sirenia. Sirenia is named after a mythological figure known as a siren in Greek mythology. It looked like a mermaid. Manatees can be found in both freshwater and saltwater habitats, but dugongs can only be found in saltwater.

Distribution and habitat

Dugong in india

• Dugongs are now reported in India in the Gulf of Mannar, the Gulf of Kutch, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• These Sea Cow live in shallow coastal waters in the Indian Ocean. They are extensively spread; however, the distribution is discontinuous and uneven. The population of the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Mannar has declined dramatically. Northern Australia has the most number of Dugongs. 

Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

Gulf of Mannar is the first marine Biosphere Reserve not only in India but also in the entire south and southeast Asia. The Gulf is part of the southward extension of the Bay of Bengal as it meets the Indian Ocean. This sea of the Gulf of Mannar may aptly be termed as a marine province in a geographical sense. It straddles across two countries – India and Sri Lanka. Gulf of Mannar has been declared as a Marine National Park in 1986 by the Government of Tamil Nadu and later as the first Marine Biosphere Reserve of India in 1989 by the Government of India.

The Gulf of Mannar is the biologically richest coastal region in India, having more than 4,200 species of plants and animals within its boundaries. In the Gulf of Mannar, one can see the globally vulnerable dugong, several species of dolphins and whales and endangered sea turtles. Furthermore, the Reserve is home to sea horses, fishes, sea cucumbers, sponges, all kinds of corals. In addition, more than 290 species of birds are found on islands in the reserve. Vital to the ecology of the reserve is the 11 species of mangrove which act as important fish nurseries. Green Tiger Prawn is extensively harvested here for export.

In conclusion, the new Dugong conservation reserve in India will help protect these marine mammals from becoming extinct. It is important that we do what we can to protect these creatures, as they play a crucial role in the health of our oceans. We must continue to raise awareness about the importance of Dugongs, and work together to ensure their future survival.