World Dugong Day 2020

Every year on 28^th May, World Dugong Day is celebrated. Dugong are also known as ‘Sea Cow’ , one of the four surviving species in the Order Sirenia. It is the only existing species of herbivorous mammal.

About

• Lives exclusively in the sea including in India.
• On the IUCN Red List, they are listed as Vulnerable.
• Protected under Schedule I of the Wild (Life) Protection Act, 1972 in India.
• They are an important part of the marine ecosystem.
• Their depletion would have effects on the food chain.

Threats

• As Dugongs graze on seagrass so the loss of seagrass beds due to ocean floor trawling is a threat to Dugongs.
• Various human activities:
  • Destruction and modification of habitat.
  • Pollution.
  • Rampant illegal fishing activities.
  • Vessel strikes.
  • Unsustainable hunting or poaching.
  • Unplanned tourism.

Trawling

• A method of fishing.
• It involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats.
• It can damage the seafloor, coral reefs including other marine animals.

Conservation Efforts

• India hosted the 13^th Conference of Parties (CoP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) .
• CMS is an environmental treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) .
• Since 1983, the Government of India is a signatory to the CMS.
• A task force was constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for Conservation of Dugongs.
  • To look into the issues related to conservation of dugongs.
  • Implementation of the ‘UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU’ in India.

✍Examrace Team at Dec 30, 2021