India is making strides in dugong conservation, with the Tamil Nadu government recently announcing plans to establish the country’s first reserve dedicated to these marine creatures. The move puts India at the forefront of promoting dugong preservation within the South Asia Sub-region.
About Dugongs
Dugongs (Dugong dugon), or Sea Cows, are one of the four living species within the Sirenia order and are unique for being the only existing species of herbivorous mammal that exclusively inhabits the sea, including territories within India. They play a significant role in marine ecosystems; their dwindling numbers may lead to serious disruptions in food chains.
Distribution and Habitat
Dugongs inhabit more than 30 countries globally. In India specifically, these sea-dwelling mammals can be spotted in the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Palk Bay, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Conservation Status and Threats
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorizes dugongs as vulnerable. They are also included in the Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, and Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
One of the principal threats to dugongs is the loss of seagrass beds due to ocean floor trawling-a fishing method that pulls a net through the water behind a fleet of boats at the cost of damaging the seafloor, coral reefs, and other marine life. In addition, human activities like habitat destruction/modification, pollution, illegal fishing, vessel strikes, unsustainable hunting, poaching, and uncontrolled tourism contribute to the decline in dugong populations. Some people also wrongly believe that consuming dugong meat can lower body temperature.
Conservation Efforts
To counter the threats, measures have been taken to protect these marine mammals. In February 2020, India hosted the 13th Conference of Parties (CoP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environmental treaty under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). As a signatory to the CMS since 1983, India has committed to non-legally binding Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with CMS on the conservation and management of various species, including dugongs.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change established a ‘Task Force for Conservation of Dugongs’ to address dugong conservation and implement the ‘UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU’ in India.
Conservation Reserves
Conservation reserves and community reserves are protected areas typically functioning as buffer zones or connectors and migration corridors between national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and reserved/protected forests. These spaces can be labelled as conservation areas if unpopulated and fully owned by the government but used by communities for subsistence. If part of the land is privately owned, they may be referred to as community areas. Introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002, these categories were brought in to tackle reduced protection due to private land ownership and usage around existing or proposed protected regions.
Source: DTE