Dugong (Sea Cow)

Dugong (Sea Cow)

Context

In January 2026, the Union Ministry of Environment’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) directed the Tamil Nadu government to revise the design of the proposed International Dugong Conservation Centre at Manora, Thanjavur. The committee cited concerns over the use of heavy concrete in the environmentally sensitive Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and recommended a low-impact, eco-friendly construction approach.

Characteristics of the Dugong

• Physical Traits: A large, plump marine mammal with paddle-like flippers and a whale-like fluked tail (unlike the rounded tail of a manatee).
• Diet: The only strictly herbivorous marine mammal, feeding almost exclusively on seagrass.
• Role as "Ecosystem Engineers": By grazing, they prevent seagrass from becoming overgrown and facilitate the growth of more nutritious young shoots, maintaining a healthy habitat for other marine life.
• Slow Reproduction: They reach sexual maturity late (9–10 years) and give birth every 3–7 years, making their populations highly vulnerable to decline.

Habitat and Distribution

• Environment: Warm, shallow coastal waters of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans.
• Strictly Marine: Unlike manatees, dugongs never enter freshwater rivers or lakes.
• In India: Found in four primary pockets:
  1. Palk Bay (Home to India's first Dugong Conservation Reserve).
  2. Gulf of Mannar.
  3. Gulf of Kutch.
  4. Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Conservation Status

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable (Global status officially recognized at the 2025 World Conservation Congress).
• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I (Highest legal protection in India).
• CITES: Appendix I (Bans international commercial trade).
• CMS (Bonn Convention): India is a signatory to the CMS Dugong MoU since 2008.

Threats

• Habitat Loss: Degradation of seagrass meadows due to coastal dredging, pollution, and climate change.
• Incidental Capture: Accidental entanglement in fishing nets (by-catch).
• Vessel Strikes: Collisions with boats in shallow waters.
• Pollution: Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in their tissues from industrial runoff.

Way Forward

• Eco-friendly Infrastructure: Adopting the EAC’s suggestion for timber-based or prefabricated materials for the Manora center to minimize the carbon footprint.
• Community Involvement: Expanding the current "reward system" for Tamil Nadu fishermen who rescue and release accidentally caught dugongs.
• Cross-Border Cooperation: Collaborating with Sri Lanka (Palk Bay region) to prevent poaching and ensure safe migratory corridors.
• Technological Monitoring: Using drones and satellite telemetry to track movement patterns between Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar.

Conclusion

The 2025 global recognition of India's Dugong Reserve by the IUCN underscores India's leadership in marine conservation. However, the success of the Manora center depends on balancing educational infrastructure with the very coastal ecosystem it aims to protect.