THANJAVUR: A dugong, an endangered marine mammal, caught in a seine net in the early hours of Sunday near Adirampattinam was rescued and released back into the sea by fishermen.
According to sources, around 20 fishermen of Keelathottam in Thanjavur noticed the eight-foot-long dugong entangled in the fishing net that was cast in the sea.
After noticing the sea creature, the fishermen alerted the forest officials of Pattukottai range who coordinated the rescue operation. “We provided instructions over the phone as the mammal can only survive for a short time when it is out of water,” said Forest Ranger AS Chandrasekaran.
The fishers then released the dugong safely into the sea. According to the fishermen, the mammal almost weighed around 800 kg.
The fishermen were also felicitated by the forest officials who also announced a formal ceremony to honour the role of fishers in the conservation efforts.
It may be noted that in 2022, the Tamil Nadu government designated the Palk Bay region as a Dugong Conservation Reserve that covered around 448 sq km of coastal waters in the districts of Thanjavur and Pudukkottai to protect the endangered species.