8 months ago
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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has formally adopted a question recognising India’s archetypal Dugong Conservation Reserve successful Palk Bay, marking a large planetary endorsement of the country’s marine conservation efforts.
The motion, projected by the Omcar Foundation and adopted astatine the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 successful Abu Dhabi, won enactment from members worldwide. Among governments, 98% voted successful favour, portion 94.8% of NGOs, probe institutions, and organisations backed the resolution.
Taking to X, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin connected Thursday (September 25, 2025) appreciated the planetary designation for the sanctuary and praised the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and conservation partners for their efforts.
Established connected September 21, 2022, by the Tamil Nadu authorities nether the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Dugong Conservation Reserve covers 448.34 sq. km. successful bluish Palk Bay. The portion is location to implicit 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows, captious feeding grounds for dugongs (Dugong dugon), a taxon listed arsenic Vulnerable to Extinction connected the IUCN Red List. Seagrasses besides enactment a big of different marine species, making the reserve ecologically significant.
The question expressed interest implicit situation degradation, destructive sportfishing practices, and the impacts of clime change, each of which endanger dugong populations and the integrity of Palk Bay’s ecosystems. It besides acknowledged the request for urgent, community-led conservation strategies to guarantee the sustainable usage of marine resources.
IUCN members highlighted the innovative restoration techniques pioneered successful the reserve, including the usage of bamboo and coconut enactment frames to rehabilitate seagrass meadows. The inaugural was praised for integrating technological methods with assemblage participation, mounting a exemplary for conservation crossed South Asia.
The solution called connected IUCN members to collaborate with the authorities of India, the Tamil Nadu government, and section organisations to fortify monitoring, physique capableness for sustainable fisheries, and stock cognition with planetary dugong conservation programmes. It further encouraged replication of the Indian exemplary successful different parts of the Indian Ocean and globally wherever dugong populations are astatine risk.
