AUSTRALIA HELPING TO PROTECT THE WORLD'S DUGONGS

14 February 2002

A report by CRC Reef researchers based at James Cook University which will help countries develop plans to protect dugongs was launched internationally this week.

"The report is an overview of the status and management of dugongs in 37 countries and territories around the world," said Professor Helene Marsh, CRC Reef researcher and lead author of the report. "Most importantly, the report provides an action plan so that countries can develop their own conservation plans to protect the dugong."

"Although dugongs occur in the waters of 37 countries, nearly all of these countries except Australia are developing nations with limited capacity to contain impacts on dugongs within sustainable limits. Therefore, dugong conservation world-wide is largely dependent on Australian initiatives."

"Within their range, dugongs are threatened by rising pollution from the land, coastal development, boat traffic, entanglement in fishing nets, and hunting for their meat and trophies."

"Dugongs appear to have disappeared in some places such as the waters off Mauritius, western Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Japan's Sakishima Shoto Islands, Hong Kong's Pearl River estuary, several islands in the Philippines and parts of Cambodia and Vietnam."

"In Australia, dugongs are not considered to be under serious threat throughout much of their range which extends from Moreton Bay near Brisbane through the tropics to Shark Bay in Western Australia. However, dugong numbers have declined along the urban coast of Queensland. Along the east coast of Queensland, especially in the Great Barrier Reef region, Dugong Protection Areas and Marine National Parks have been established to protect dugong."

The report was launched in Columbia on February 12 at a meeting of Environment Ministers from around the world. It was funded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CRC Reef.

The report called 'The Dugong (Dugong dugon): status report and action plans for countries and territories in its range' by Marsh H, Eros C, Penrose H and Hughes J, can be found on the UNEP website at http://www.unep.org/dewa/reports/dugongreport.asp.

For more information or to arrange an interview call:
Professor Helene Marsh on 07 4781 4325 or by email on helene.marsh@jcu.edu.au
Louise Goggin, Communication Coordinator, CRC Reef, on 07 4729 8404 or 0402 243116.