First Dugong Conservation Reserve in India is IUCN recognized

1. Recognition and Location

• India boasts of the first Dugong Conservation Reserve which is duly recognized by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• Location: The reserve is located at Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu.
• Background The Tamil Nadu government created it in September 2022 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and occupies a population of 448.34 sq. km.

2. Ecological Value of the Reserve.

• It is a key habitat and it has more than 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows.
• These seagrass beds serve as:
• Foremost nutritional habitats of dugongs.
• Important carbon sinks.
• Critical nurseries to different marine community, hence boosting the coastal biodiversity and fish production.

3. About Dugongs

• Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are large, docile marine herbivores (closely related to manatees).
• They are commonly referred to as the gardeners of the sea since they feed on 30 40 kg of seagrass everyday and this contributes to the well being of the seagrass ecosystem.
• They are also present in the Andaman and Nicobar Island and the Gulf of Mannar and Kutch in India.

Conservation Status:

• On the IUCN Red List listed as Vulnerable.
• They are granted the highest level of protection under the law, and are therefore, under protection in Schedule I under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.

4. Threats and Conservation Impact.

• Hunting, fishing nets bycatch, boat strikes, and habitat destruction are contributing to the decline of the population of dugongs.
• The international Union of Nature Conservation honors the conservation initiatives of India, internationalization, scientific cooperation and establishes a standard to be followed in conservation activities in the country in the future.

5. Broader Alignment

• This initiative contributes to the global objectives, such as UN Decade of Ocean Science and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water).
• About Tamil Nadu
• Capital: Chennai
• Chief Minister: M.K. Stalin
• Governor: R.N. Ravi
• Notable National Parks: gulf of mannar marine national park, Mudumalai national park, Guindy national park.

Associated News

• The biodiversity of the region is also very rich and is currently under exploration as a new marine species, the finless snake eel (Apterichtus kanniyakumari), was recently discovered along the coasts of Colachel, Tamil Nadu.