The Government of Tamil Nadu will set up India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in the Palk Bay Dugong.

About the Conservation Reserve

• The Conservation Reserve will cover an area of 500 kms.
• The proposed conservation area has the highest concentration of dugongs in the country. The reserve will span the northern part of the Palk Bay from Adirampattinam to Amapattinam.
• AS part of the CAMPA-Dugong Recovery Project, various surveys were conducted in the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar, from November 2016 to March 2019.
• Gulf of Mannar is a shallow bay area between the south eastern end of Tamil Nadu and western Sri Lanka.

About Dugongs

• The dugong, also called the sea cow, is a herbivorous mammal.
• It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae.
• The dugong is strictly a marine mammal.
• They graze on seagrass and come to the surface to breathe.
• They are found in over 30 countries and in India are seen in the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Source: ForumIAS