Why in News?
A new IUCN report presented at the Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi warned of a severe decline in India’s dugong populations due to bycatch, pollution, and habitat loss. It highlighted that dugong survival in the Gulf of Kutch and Andamans is increasingly uncertain.
Description:
Description:
- 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.
Conservation Status of Dugong:
- IUCN: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I
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.
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