Dugong conservation reserve
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Context: Marine biologists have welcomed the Tamil Nadu government’s to establish Dugong conservation reserve.
Dugong conservation reserve:
- India’s first Dugong conservation reservewill be built in Tamil Nadu’s Palk Bay for the conservation of Dugong.
- It would be established in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay between India and Sri Lanka, for the conservation of the animals.
- The reserve will spread over an area of 500 km in Palk Bayon the southeast coast of Tamil Nadu.
- Palk Bay is a semi-enclosed shallow waterbody with a water depth maximum of 13 meters.
Need for establishing marine reserve:
- Dugongs are on the verge of extinction, as in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands their population is less than 100.
- Both in the Gulf of Mannar and the Gulf of Kutch, there are very few sporadic records.
Dugong: The sea cow:
- Dugong or the sea cow is the State animal of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
- This endangered marine speciessurvive on seagrass and other aquatic vegetation found in the area.
- They are marine mammals and have to surface every four minutes to breathe.
- It is the only herbivorous mammalthat is strictly marine and is the only extant species in the family Dugongidae.
- Dugongs are usually about three-meter long and weigh about 400 kg.
- Dugongs have an expanded head and trunk-like upper lip.
- Elephants are considered to be their closest relatives. However, unlike dolphins and other cetaceans, sea cows have two nostrils and no dorsal fin.
- Conservation status:
- Vulnerable under IUCN red list.
- Schedule I animal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Distributed in shallow tropical waters in the Indo-Pacific region, in India,they are found in the Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Causes of extinction:
- Reasons for the extinction are: slow breeding rate, fishing, and the loss of habitat.
- Dugongs are long-living animals, that have a low reproductive rate, long generation time, and high investment in each offspring.
- Due to natural and human-induced activities, the natural habitat of the animal is on a risk. The herbivorous mammal feeds on seagrass, which is at a loss.
- Human activities such as riding of speed-boats causes death of the animal due to boat and propellor strikes. Further, habitat loss is also attributed to the increase in conversion of coastal forests to banana, areca nut, and coconut plantations and high boat traffic.
- Natural factorsare extreme weather events such as cyclones and high energy tidal storms may also contribute to the loss of seagrasses in the region.
- Gill-net fishing: Dugongs are also known to suffer due to accidental entanglement and drowning ingill-nets. Fishing activities around the Indian, Andaman, Nicobar, and Sri Lankan coasts include gill netting and dynamite fishing.
How the population can thrive?
- The conservation reserve can promote growthand save the vulnerable species from the verge of extinction.
- Conservation measures like the proposed conservation area can help revive the sea cow population.
- Simultaneous effort towards seagrass meadow restoration, reduction of dugong mortalities, and community participation in dugong conservation can help in helping the dugong population recover.
- Creating awareness among the people, involving the local communities
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