An Intra-Regional Workshop on Developing Strategies to Support Dugong Conservation in the Palk Bay, Tamil Nadu, was organised by the Wildlife Conservation Society in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and the OMCAR Foundation at Mahabalipuram during 19-20 October 2023. The objective of the Workshop was to explore research, policy, and capacity development needs for dugong conservation in Palk Bay.

 

Participating in the workshop on behalf of BOBP-IGO, Dr. Sri Hari M, Project Scientist, highlighted the necessity of regional cooperation for the conservation of dugongs in view of their ecological importance. He mentioned that there is currently a shortage of sufficient scientific data and information required for dugong conservation. Furthermore, scientific knowledge on this subject is fragmented and dispersed across various organisations in India & Sri Lanka. He said that BOBP-IGO is willing to cooperate with competent agencies from India and Sri Lanka for setting up a Dugong Regional Conservation Network (DReCoN) for the conservation of dugongs in shared waters of India and Sri Lanka.