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Fishermen honoured for rescuing dugong

August 08, 2018 09:14 pm | Updated 09:14 pm IST

Ramanathpuram

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has honoured a set of fishermen with cash award for rescuing and releasing back into the sea, a 10-foot long dugong, known as sea cow, got entangled in their fishing net, while fishing at Keezhathottam in Thanjavur district on July 26.

Tamil Nadu Biodiversity and Greening Project Director Jagdish presented the cash award of ₹10,000 to Naguran and his fishermen colleagues at a brief programme organised by the WII at OMCAR Palk Bay centre at Velivayal in Thanjavur district, WII, said in a press release here on Wednesday.

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The WII has also honoured Mr. Chelladurai, an active member of the Friends of Dugong Network, who coordinate the rescue operation and was part of the previous two dugong rescue operations in 2016 with token cash award of ₹3,000.

Mr. Ashok Kumar, Wildlife Warden, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, Ramanathapuram, Mr Gurusamy, District Forest Officer, Tanjavur district, and Mr. Arivoli, District Forest Officer, Tiruvarur district, were others present at the felicitation programme.

The WII team comprising Prem Jothi, Madhu Magesh and Rukmini Shekar, Balaji from OMCAR, a voluntary organisation engaged in dugong conservation and the ‘Friends of Dugong’ members of the Keezhathottam fishing community along with their village head attended the function.

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Naguran and other fishermen were fishing when the adult dugong got entangled in the fishing net. Finding that the marine mammal was struggling for life, the fishermen along with WII, Tamil Nadu Forest department, the Marine police of the Coastal Security Group, Fisheries Department staff OMCAR rescued the mammal and released it back into the sea.

The CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority) – Dugong Recovery Project of the WII, which aimed towards the conservation of dugongs and their habitats in the country with the participation of all related stakeholders, deemed this response from the fishing community, as one of their biggest successes, the WII release said.

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