Making friends is hard, finding 'Best Friends' is really difficult but in Dwarka were Dugongs have stranded a new initiative is starting with local GreenLife representative Sanjay Salaiya. He has been busy at his school getting kids interested in wildlife, how to respect them and take care not to disturb them. He invited us to talk to the kids and show them what life is really like underneath the waves.

Sanjay (on right) explains in local dialect the importance of bio diversity and protection of the Dugong and other sea animals.

In a landmark decision by the Forest Department in charge of the Marine National Park in the Gulf of Kutch. The Forest offiicials accepted a GreenLife developed program to train Forest Officers and train them to become Marine Rangers.

This has been a  major target for GreenLife Society to get Marine Rangers active in the areas where Dugongs are present.

This will develop a deterrent for poachers and those fisherman who get a Dugong caught in their nets accidentally will have expert assistance to release the animal.

A forty day survey took part on the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat making it the first full preliminary survey of its kind to take place in the area for the endangered Dugong.

GreenLife Principle Investigator and volunteers interviewed over 300 fisherman and collected data around the Gulf of Kutch and beyond on sightings and strandings of Dugongs.

Collection of the data is not the only thing they did, they also established the framework for setting up Dugong Monitoring Units in the coast of Gujarat.

Interview techniques are used by using visual aids

If that doesnt work we ask them to draw what they saw to try and determine the species

We try to trick people in showing them other species to determine if they really know the Dugong Species. Clear and direct knowledge is the end result if they dont know they probably dont after all the questions.

June 2008, GreenLife Society visited the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi to develop collaboration for conservation training for the endangered Dugong in India. UAE has a population of 2000 + dugongs in its territory and has engaged marine rangers to protect them. GreenLife hope to take their training program and modify it for the Indian system.

(pic Environment Agency Director with GreenLife Director)

(pic Hoslo Jiwa and Dr. Himansu Das discussing conservation strategies for Dugong conservation)

State Animal Dugong Killed by fisherman in Neil Island

It is a shame that during the Presidential visit that we should uncover another killing of the rare and endangered Dugong. NGO GreenLife Society has been monitoring the State Animal for the past five years and has uncovered that within two years, three Dugongs have been killed by a local Neil Island fisherman without any reprimand or punishment from the Wildlife Department.

In fact the Fisherman in question whose name is Bala lives two doors away from the forest officer’s office cum lodgings.

The latest killing was of the 250kg mother Dugong which has sent a serious threat of extinction for the Dugong in these parts says Hasmukh Hoslo Jiwa the Principle Scientist for the Dugong dugon. “The mother Dugong only gives birth every three to seven years their birth rate is very slow and so if you kill a mother you virtually kill a whole generation. Mr Jiwa remarked.

The latest episode was not even recognized by the forest and wildlife department even though the carcass was sold openly in the market square of Neil. Bala the fisherman caught the Dugong in his net and it was still alive reports said he mercilessly cut the head off the mother Dugong and bought the pieces to be sold in the Neil Island market for 50 rupees a kilo. The Dugong is the State Animal and a Schedule One animal it is supposed to be protected like the Tiger and until date no one has been brought to judgment. 

We hope the President a pleasant stay unfortunately it might be the only time she gets to see the Dugong is a picture on the website of the A&N Administration.

(source: Light of Andamans newspaper)