Dugongs and Seagrasses

In a noteworthy move towards conserving and managing dugongs at a global level, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) passed a resolution urging all dugong range state to collectively adopt a Memorandum of Understanding and an associated Conservation and Management Plan (CMP) for dugongs, throughout the species range. In April 2008, the Government of India signed the CMS Memorandum and initiated efforts to strenghten conservation programmes of the spceies and their habitats in Indian waters, with support from the international community. 

Based on our knowledge of the ecosystem and species and through our work in the Gulf of Mannar, a Marine Protected Area, with Small Grant partner, Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI), MFF India will translate and carry out surveys prepared by the UNEP and CMS Dugong Secretariat, in the Gulf of Mannar in the coming months. The Tamil translation will be shared with IUCN Sri Lanka who are conducting the survey in the Sri Lankan waters of the Gulf of Mannar. As India is a signatory to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and this project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII). WII will further conduct the surveys along the east and west coasts of India and her islands.