CHENNAI: The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Conservation Congress 2025 adopted a motion on Thursday recognising India’s first dugong conservation reserve in Tamil Nadu’s Palk Bay as a global model for marine biodiversity conservation.
The motion, proposed by the Omcar Foundation, received overwhelming support during electronic voting. Nearly 98% of countries and government agencies and 94.8% of NGOs, research institutions and organisations voted in favour.
“The adoption is a significant global recognition of TN’s pioneering step. It reaffirms its leadership in marine conservation across South Asia,” Supriya Sahu, additional chief secretary, environment, forests and climate change department, told TNIE.
TN declared the 448.34 sq km dugong conservation reserve in September 2022 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The reserve, the first of its kind in the country, lies in the northern Palk Bay, which harbours more than 12,250 hectares of seagrass meadows.
These meadows are critical feeding grounds for dugongs (Dugong dugon), listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, and also support a wide range of marine species.
The IUCN resolution flagged threats to dugong survival, including habitat degradation, unsustainable fishing practices and climate change. It called for stronger community-led conservation strategies, sustainable fisheries and international partnerships to protect dugong habitats across the Indian Ocean.
TN’s ground-level conservation efforts were also acknowledged. According to official records, between 2021-22 and September 2025, 16 dugongs were rescued and released in Thanjavur and Pudukkottai forest divisions. To build fisher cooperation, the state issued `1.16 lakh as compensation for net damage and an additional `1.59 lakh as rewards for timely reporting of dugong entanglements. In all, `2.75 lakh has been disbursed to 62 fishers, with Thanjavur alone accounting for 51 beneficiaries.
“The compensation and reward system has created trust among fishers. Instead of concealing accidental captures, they now inform the forest department, enabling safe release of dugongs,” Omcar Foundation director Balaji Vedharajan told TNIE.
Chief Minister M K Stalin welcomed the IUCN recognition by congratulating the forest department, Omcar Foundation and all stakeholders involved in the conservation effort. IUCN’s India representative Yash Veer Bhatnagar told TNIE that TN is already doing tremendous work and there are early indications of species recovery.