Sea cows, buffaloes enliven folklore Paul Fernandes, TNN, Nov 7, 2010, 03.51am IST
PANAJI: Endangered species of sea cows or dugongs (Dugong dugon) are seen only in a few places in Indian waters, but fishermen and coastal folk in Goa have spun interesting lore around porpoises and dolphins, mistaking them for dugongs.
Zoologically called Sirenoid, the playful 'mermaids' are on the verge of extinction as they are extensively slaughtered for their meat. Incidentally, Dugong meat is considered a delicacy and is believed to have curative properties.
With dugong conservation in mind, the union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) recently constituted a task force to draw up a plan for their protection. After all, only a few dugongs are seen today, that too only in Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Yet, some Goan villagers have believed for decades that the sea cows seen in coastal waters are gade redde (sea buffaloes).
Simon Pereira, a trawler owner, says that the lack of knowledge about the species of mammals off the Goan coast is the main problem. "All types of dolphins are generalized into one category - gade redde," he admits.
Known for their playful ways, gade redde hit the surface every now and then and gently roll back into the water. "It is a delight to watch them as they surf and roll back into the waters without showing much of their huge frame," says Edwin Carvalho, a trawler owner.
But Manoj Borkar, a marine zoologist says gade redde could only be porpoise being mistaken for sea cows. "Sea cows are presumed to be gade redde because the porpoise' silhouette resembles that of a dugong. They rise and fall back into the water so fast that one can hardly observe them," he says.
There is no authentic report on the range of sea cows seen off the state's coastline. "So what we have in fact is a finless porpoise - not a sea cow," Borkar stresses.
Agrees additional principal chief conservator of forests, Shashi Kumar, "No sightings of dugongs have been reported off the Goan coast." A small dugong population exists in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. "There is even a creek in Andaman known as Dugong creek," says Kumar.
But Goa's forest department is willing to lend support to the MoEF plan of developing a national conservation strategy.
"We will extend cooperation in drawing an action plan," Kumar says. The nine-member panel is expected to submit a report in six months, recommending an appropriate methodology and institutional framework for monitoring sea cows' status and recovering their habitats in India, according to the ministry's statement.
While the dugongs' habitats are threatened by pollution, gade redde near Goa's coast also face similar problems.
"They (gade redde) were being slaughtered for meat until five or six yeas ago in Vasco. The gutters in the fish market were flooded with their thick red blood," Borkar says.
A fisherman admits that more than a decade ago gade redde were hunted by a few fishermen as their meat, thick and hard, was sought after by some consumers. "However, now we have not seen them ever being brought to shore," he says.
The traditional and mechanized fishermen are aware about the government's conservation rules, Carvalho says. "If we see them in our nets, we immediately release them and have instructed our fishermen to do likewise," Carvalho, a member of the Goa Fishing Boats Owners' Association, says.
Pereira says his trawler crew saw two young gades with milk oozing from their mouths about six years ago. "Our crew released them realizing they were juveniles," he says.
A forest official opines that it would be advisable to sensitize the general public about the importance of marine wildlife before penalizing offenders.
"We have asked the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, western region, whose office is based at Mumbai, to educate field-level staff and fishermen communities on this matter," the source said.
Pereira agrees that information about marine mammals has to be disseminated among people in order to create more awareness.
"All dolphins and porpoise are called gade redde and people don't have any knowledge about the species," he says.
Borkar admits that there is a huge lacuna in the understanding of marine mammals in this part of the world. "We know little in terms of their diversity, their behaviour or even existing species," he says.
As a member of the Goa State Wildlife Advisory Board, he has urged the government to constitute a cell for monitoring marine-mammal stranding and sightings especially in south Goa.
"Sea cows, porpoises and dolphins, especially the latter two, look alike but are different species, though they are misconstrued as one," Borkar said. Explaining further, he said they are different in terms of body colour, shape, fins, snout, dentition, and even behaviour.
Carvalho says gade redde (porpoise) may have got their nomenclature due to their striking dark brown coat. "Their pitch dark hide like buffaloes may have earned them that name," he says. In local language, a gado is one who is sluggish in behaviour.
In comparison, dolphins are grey skinned and quicker. "Gade (porpoise) cannot match the dolphins for speed," says Carvalho. "They (dolphins) seem to be gregarious, surfing near the boat and reappearing 50 m away within seconds. They also move towards the shore in twos and threes," he adds.
But Borkar points out that porpoise are less gregarious. "This is an indication of the confusion among the fishermen and others," he says.
Baban Ingole, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) fisheries scientist says there is a lack of focused research about the status of endangered marine mammals.
"Scientific opinion is more credible and people can be made aware of exciting marine life through research findings," he says.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Sea-cows-buffaloes-enliven-folklore/articleshow/6881493.cms#ixzz14cWNxVgZ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ _/ tambdimati: the Goa review is a community blog of original _/ art, writing, music, news and commentary from and about the _/ smallest state in the subcontinent. check out the newest _/ member of the Goanet family daily at _/ http://www.tambdimati.com. _/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
