India’s Dugong Conservation Reserve Latest News
Recently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has formally adopted a motion recognising India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay.
About India’s Dugong Conservation Reserve
- It is India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve.
- It was established on September 21, 2022, by the Tamil Nadu government under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,
- It covers 448.34 sq. km. in northern Palk Bay.
- The region is home to over 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows, vital feeding grounds for dugongs (Dugong dugon).
- Seagrasses also support a host of other marine species, making the reserve ecologically significant.
Key Facts about Dugong
- Dugongs (Dugong dugon) are the only herbivorous mammals found in India’s marine ecosystems.
- Appearance: It is known as the sea cow, but resembles a cross between a seal and a whale, and is distributed through the Indo-Pacific region.
- Distribution: They are found along the Indian coastline, primarily inhabiting warm waters around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, and the Gulf of Kutch. The dugong is a long-lived species, able to live up to 70 years.
- Habitat: Dugongs are restricted to shallow waters, where they spend the day feeding on seagrasses of the genera Cymodocea, Halophila, Thalassia, and Halodule.
- Reproduction of Dugong
- Individuals reach reproductive maturity after only nine or ten years and can give birth at intervals of around three to five years.
- Due to its slow reproductive cycle, extended time to maturity, and infrequent calving, a dugong population’s maximum potential growth rate is estimated to be just about 5% per year.
- Conservation status of Dugong
- IUCN: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I
Source: TH
India’s Dugong Conservation Reserve FAQ's
Q1: Which is the first state to set up India's first dugong conservation reserve?
Ans: Tamil Nadu
Q2: What is the IUCN status of dugong in India?
Ans: Vulnerable
