India’s first Dugong Conservation Reserve

In news: Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to go ahead with the establishment of India’s first conservation reserve for the Dugong in Gulf of Manner, Palk Bay.

• It facilitates India to act as the leading nation in the South Asia Sub-region with respect to dugong conservation.

About Dugongs:

• Dugong (Dugong dugon) also called ‘Sea Cow’ is one of the four surviving species in the Order Sirenia and it is the only existing species of herbivorous mammal that lives exclusively in the sea including in India.
• Dugongs are an important part of the marine ecosystem and their depletion will have effects all the way up the food chain.
• Distribution and Habitat: They are found in over 30 countries and in India are seen in the Gulf of Manner, Gulf of Kutch, Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• IUCN Red List status: Vulnerable
• Wild (Life) Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix I

Steps Taken for Conservation:

• In February 2020, India hosted the 13th Conference of Parties (CoP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environmental treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• The Government of India has been a signatory to the CMS since 1983.
• India has signed non-legally binding Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted a ‘Task Force for Conservation of Dugongs’ to look into issues related to conservation of dugongs and implementation of the ‘UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU’ in India.

Source: Indian Express

Previous Year Questions

Q.1) Which of the following is not a bird? (2022)

1. Golden Mahseer
2. Indian Nightjar
3. Spoonbill
4. White Ibis

Q.2) Certain species of which one of the following organisms are well known as cultivators of

fungi? (2022)

1. Ant
2. Cockroach
3. Crab
4. Spider

Q.3) Consider the following animals    (2021)

1. Hedgehog
2. Marmot
3. Pangolin

To reduce the chance of being captured by predators, which of the above organisms rolls up/roll up and protects/protect its/their vulnerable parts?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 only
3. 3 only
4. 1 and 3