Once widespread in Indian waters, dugong numbers have fallen to an estimated 200 individuals, with both their population and geographic range on decline

About Dugong

• Marine Mammals: Dugongs (Dugong dugon), also known as “Sea Cows” and the “Farmers of the Sea” are large, herbivorous marine mammals.
  • They are related to manatees, belonging to the order Sirenia.
  • Unlike manatees, dugongs are more strictly marine, preferring waters a few metres deep. 
• Habitat: Dugongs are found in warm coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Due to their dependence on seagrass beds for habitat and food, dugongs are restricted to shallow waters.
• Distribution: In the Indian Ocean, 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.
• Herbivorous Diet: They primarily feed on seagrasses of the genera Cymodocea, Halophila, Thalassia, and Halodule.
  • Seagrass is an underwater flowering plant that stabilises the seafloor, supports marine life, and captures carbon dioxide.
• Reproduction: Dugongs have a slow reproduction rate, with females giving birth to a single calf after a long gestation period of about 13–15 months. 
• Lifespan: The dugong is a long-lived species, able to live up to 70 years.
• Threats: Dugongs face serious threats such as habitat loss due to coastal development, entanglement in fishing nets, boat collisions, pollution, and declining seagrass beds.
• World Dugong Day: May 28 is celebrated every year as World Dugong Day.

Conservation Status and  Efforts in India

• IUCN Status: Dugongs are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by IUCN globally 
• In India Dugong is classified as  ‘Regionally Endangered’.
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix I
• Dugong Reserve: In 2022, India established its first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu.
• Global Agreements: India joined the Convention on Migratory Species in 1983 and signed the Dugong Conservation MoU in 2008.
• The government of India has set up a Task Force to investigate issues relating to dugong conservation and implementation of the CMS Dugong MoU.