In association with the 7th WIOMSA Scientific Symposium in Mombasa, Kenya, the UNEP/CMS Dugong MOU Secretariat organized a special session on progressing dugong conservation in the South West Indian Ocean sub-region, on Friday 28 October 2011.

The First South Asia Sub-Regional Workshop on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs hosted by India on 6-7 June 2011 in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, has successfully facilitated regional cooperation to implement the Dugong MOU Conservation and Management Plan in the region.

The Secretariat received 12 Expressions of Interest covering all five sub-regions. The projects highlighted the need for a number of important dugong conservation activities.