The population of dugongs along the Tamil Nadu coast has been estimated at 270 by WII, and this signals a stable and thriving environment for the endangered marine mammals, a top state official said on Thursday.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Environment, Climate Change and Forests said the recent assessment by the Wildlife Institute of India is “big news in wildlife conservation.”
“The findings indicate that the dugong population in Tamil Nadu is stable and doing well,” Sahu stated.
The estimation, she said was conducted in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and it identified 158 dugongs in Palk Bay and 112 in the Gulf of Mannar.
“Together, these regions now host the largest viable dugong population in India,” she added.
She attributed the success to the Dugong Recovery Programme implemented by WII and supported through Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), alongside “proactive and sustained conservation efforts of the TN Forest Department”.
The report highlighted the confirmed presence of mother-calf pairs, which provides critical evidence of active breeding within the habitat, Sahu said.
According to her, the report also highlights the Notification of the Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay, covering 448 sq km of core dugong habitat, by government of Tamil Nadu, as a significant milestone towards long-term protection of the species.
“We are setting up India`s first Dugong Conservation Centre at Manora in Thanjavur District, at a cost of Rs 40.94 crore with @worldbankgroup. This centre will serve as a state-of-the-art hub for dugong research, awareness generation, and community participation,” Sahu added.
The dugong, often referred to as the `sea cow,` is a strictly herbivorous marine mammal that relies on seagrass meadows. It is currently listed as `Vulnerable` on the IUCN Red List, making the stability of the Tamil Nadu population a significant boost for national marine biodiversity goals.
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270 endangered dugongs estimated to be thriving along Tamil Nadu coast
