Last month I suggested about 1,000 dugongs are killed each year in northern Australian waters and that this is too many. Today, ABC Online is quoting fisherman Peter Manning suggesting a figure of 1,600 dugongs. Mr Manning says all Australians should be concerned about the impact of Indigenous hunting on dugong stocks.
Read more from Peter Manning here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/06/2155453.htm
My blog post of January 21, 2008, can be found here:
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Jen
I saw the Late show last night Dugongs were called sea angels and people considered very lucky to see one, Jenifer someone or other was talking about them and Letterman did ask want to know what taste like..
Cobra almost got Jack Hannah.
Probably a rerun though.
Thaks, Chrisgo.
This is one thing I like about this blog. Contributors often drop good leads to credible information. However, this is one big paper, and to download it all now would exceed my data limit and cost me. Will do so later, as I really want to read the Australian section.
The excecutive summary is much smaller, but depressing (probably realistic). Especially this:
"Unless human values change dramatically, we belive that it will be impossible to reduce anthropogenic impacts on the dugong throughout its vast and remote range..."
The human values range from East Africa to the Pholipines, and SE Asia to Australia. Big ask.
One thing in Australia's favour is that we probably have some of the biggest and most viable local populations, as our northern coastline is so sparsely populated.
This could be a starting point for sustainable management in Australia. But first, good data is needed. Count them.
Helen, A good paper on the sustainable management of dugongs together with population knowledge and indigenous catch is at http://www.unep.org/dewa/reports/dugongreport.asp
This report is fairly old and what amazes me is that it carries the logos of the IUCN, UNEP etc yet it has received little publicity and the plight of the dugong seems to be ignored by Australian and other National Governments.
It's lucky Dugongs don't inhabit Tasmanian waters, as it would just be another issue to blame on the pulp mill.