New Delhi: In a win for dugongs—the marine mammal—and India’s larger marine conservation story, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) put forth a motion to recognise India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve in Tamil Nadu’s Palk Bay. Resolution 025 will be voted upon at the upcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi in October.
“…encourages IUCN Members, state and non-state actors, and conservation organisations to promote the adaptation, and replication where appropriate, of the Dugong Conservation Reserve model of India in other regions of the Indian Ocean and globally,” reads the resolution, available on IUCN’s website.
The Dugong Conservation Reserve is a one-of-its-kind marine protected area —the Tamil Nadu government in 2022 chalked out 448 sq kms of suitable ocean regions near the Thanjavur district to protect these vulnerable marine mammals. With features like a cross between a dolphin and a manatee, dugongs are the largest herbivorous marine mammals and are on the verge of extinction. Dugongs are also known as ‘sea cows’, and are listed in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, as their habitats are threatened by human pressure. They largely feed on seagrass that grows in shallow coastal areas, such as bays.
In September 2021, the Tamil Nadu Government decided to protect these species from human threats such as being caught in fishing nets and losing access to seagrass. With the Dugong Conservation Reserve, the state wanted to inform local fisherfolk about the need to conserve the dugongs and release them if ever accidentally caught in fishing nets.
“Over 170 awareness programs (2024–2025) have been conducted to engage local fishing communities. Seagrass restoration projects covering 8 hectares have been completed,” said Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change & Forests in the Government of Tamil Nadu in a post on X.
IUCN recognition for reserve
In its resolution 025, the IUCN mentioned that the Palk Bay area where the conservation reserve is situated, has over 12,000 hectares of seagrass, which is critically important for dugongs to survive. It also recognised the need to implement community-led conservation techniques for the ‘sustainable use of marine resources’.
Dugongs are mostly only seen in tropical and subtropical areas, with their populations extending from the seas of East Africa to East Asia and Australia. Countries like the Philippines, Kenya, Mozambique, Indonesia and Australia have their own Dugong conservation plans. But the Tamil Nadu reserve was the first time India ever thought of one.
The Palk Bay area, according to a drone survey conducted by Wildlife Institute of India, has a population of over 200 dugongs as of September 2025. Sahu hailed it as an achievement of the Dugong Conservation Reserve that allows these populations to thrive in their natural habitat.
Recognising these efforts, the IUCN in its resolution, requested the Director General and members of IUCN to collaborate with the Indian government, provide technical assistance, and engage in knowledge sharing of best practices to implement similar dugong and marine conservation techniques elsewhere in the world.
(Edited by Vidhi Bhutra)