HUMAN ACTIVITIES AND POLLUTION: WHAT THREATENS INDIA’S SEA COWS?

NEWS – A recent report released at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi highlights the alarming decline of dugong (sea cow) populations in India due to escalating human activities and pollution.

HIGHLIGHTS

Conservation Status & Distribution

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
• India: Schedule I, Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (highest protection).
• Habitats in India:
  • Gulf of Kutch
  • Gulf of Mannar–Palk Bay
  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands

The report warns that dugong survival in Gulf of Kutch is “highly uncertain” and “challenging” in the Andamans, with numbers in Palk Bay much lower than before.

Ecological Significance

• Gentle herbivorous marine mammals dependent on seagrass meadows.
• Help maintain seagrass by pruning shoots and uprooting old growth.
• Release nutrients while feeding—benefiting fish, shellfish, and invertebrates like sea cucumbers.

Threats to Dugongs

• Fishing nets: Major cause of accidental entanglement and death.
• Pollution & turbidity: Severe in Gulf of Kutch and Tamil Nadu.
• Habitat degradation: Coastal development, dredging, seagrass loss.
• Toxic contamination: Study in Marine Pollution Bulletin found arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury & lead in tissues of 46 stranded dugongs.
• Fisheries-related mortality: Highest in Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Addressing the Decline

• Reduce destructive fishing practices; introduce dugong-safe nets.
• Protect and restore seagrass habitats.
• Strengthen marine pollution control & coastal zone regulation.
• Community-based conservation in fishing villages.

Steps Taken by India

• 2010: MoEFCC set up Task Force for Conservation of Dugongs.
• National Dugong Recovery Programme with Tamil Nadu, Gujarat & A&N Islands.
• Palk Bay Dugong Conservation Reserve recently recognised globally by IUCN as a model for marine biodiversity conservation.

ABOUT IUCN WORLD CONSERVATION CONGRESS

• Held every 4 years; 2025 edition in Abu Dhabi (9–15 October).
• Brings together 1,400+ member organisations to decide global conservation priorities.