BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE, 31(3): 662-672, 1981 INTERVIEW AND AERIAL SURVEY DATA IN RELATION TO RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF THE DUGONG IN MANUS PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA Brydget E. T. Hudson ABSTRACT Manus, the most northerly Province of Papua New Guinea, has a population of dugongs which is important to, and hunted by, the coastal people of the Province. Village patrols and aerial surveys have been conducted to assess the numbers of dugongs in the Province, the level of hunting carried out by the people, and their attitudes to the conservation of this vulnerable marine mammal. This paper outlines the results of this work, supplementary work to be done, and suggests conservation areas which the people might like to create for the dugong and other marine resources in Manus Province. A postal survey conducted in 1973/1974 (Hudson, 1977) indicated that Manus Province, situated between longitude 146°00'W-148°30'W and latitude 01°45'8 and 04°00'8, our most northerly Province, had the second largest dugong popu- lation in Papua New Guinea. In response to this survey the people of Papua New Guinea, told of their concern that the numbers of dugongs were declining in our waters. The dugong was made a National Animal of Papua New Guinea, in 1976. This legislation is aimed at protecting the dugong but retaining it for village use, if caught by tra- ditional methods. The Wildlife Division's "Dugong conservation, management and public edu- cation programme" was started in 1978 to find strategies suitable to Papua New Guinea, and its people, for the management of the dugong which is classified as a vulnerable marine mammal (IUCN, 1976). The collection of baseline data con- cerning the numbers of dugongs in the population, their distribution, reproductive strategies, hunting and other pressures on them, if any, must be found to imple- ment this aim. The reaction of local people to possible management guidelines must be assessed, and suitable action taken to ensure the survival of the dugong in Papua New Guinea coastal waters. In February 1977 a patrol (visit) was made to the islands of Lou, Rambutyo and Pak in the south-east of Manus Province, to collect information from the village people about the dugongs and other marine resources and the people's concerns about wildlife in the area. A patrol of the main island was not possible at that time because of very bad weather, but such a patrol was made in July 1979 when the islands previously visited with the exception of Lou Island were revisited and a visit was made to Baluan Island which had not been visited in 1977. (Fig. 1). From such village patrols anecdotal information was collected concerning dugong numbers and seasonality in the area, trends in the numbers of dugongs in the local population, calving areas, hunting pressure and other interesting information about the way of life of the dugong and the people's relationship to it. To obtain objectives counts of the population of dugongs other methods must be used. An aerial survey program of the Manus Province dugong resources was started in 1978. Such surveys have been conducted at least once a year since then, using 662 HUDSON: DUGONG SURVEY, MANUS, NEW GUINEA 663 147"30' MASSONG ISLANDS aO 2'00' BIPI-PAHI ~--, OrONG ISLAND 'I) °ill ISLAND ISLANDS SAN MIGUEL ISLANDS ~~~ <> BISMARCK SEA LOU ...- ~~ ISLAND~) RAM8UTYO 00 ISLAND M'aUKE ~V/) 17 ISLANDS ..' JOHNSTON ~ - " < ISLANDS / o 20 (n BALUAN ~ISLAND KM Figure I. Places where dugongs are sighted and numbers hunted. Stippled areas indicate where dugongs are commonly seen (information from postal survey). Numerals within squares designate the numbers of dugongs killed per year (information from interviews during visits to villages around the coast of Manus Province). methods as detailed in Hudson (in press) developed by the author as an adaption of the methods of Heinsohn et aI., 1976. Both sets of data have been discussed with the village people and the Provincial and local governments with suggestions as to management and conservation strat- egies which they might use for the management of the dugong resources of the Province. METHODS The two methods of collecting information will be dealt with separately. Firstly, the village patrols and information collected and then the aerial surveys and their results will be discussed, Village Patrols In both 1977 and 1979 similar methods of conducting extension work in the villages of Manus Province and the community in Lorengau the capital of the Province, were used. Before the patrol, information concerning the proposed route and arrival times at villages was broadcast on the infor- mation program of the local radio station. Project staff were interviewed by this radio station to inform the local people about the aims of the patrol. Such interviews were also given when project staff visited the Province to conduct aerial surveys. During these interviews information was also given about a system of conservation and management areas called Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), which is used widely in Papua New Guinea. These WMAs are areas of land or sea, which are set aside by the people for conservation, The landowners or people with hunting or fishing rights, make the rules they wish to use to run the Area and enforce these rules themselves. The Wildlife Division assists by having these rules published in the Government Gazette so that they are legally enforceable. The Division also assists the people to collect biological information on which sound management decisions can be made. Other forms of conservation areas such as national parks, sanctuaries or other forms of conservation areas are discussed with the village people during patrols. Project staff aim to stay at least one night at villages where we believe that we can obtain relevant information, so as to get to know the local people and assist them by supplying information about conservation and management strategies suitable for their wildlife. In the village, meetings are conducted in the lingua franca New Guinea pidgin, either in the late afternoon or early morning, so as not to inconvenience the people from their usual occupations. Such 664 BULLETIN OF MARINE SCIENCE. VOL. 31, NO.3, 1981 I /\ 147·00' 147"30' NARES HARBOUR i ~ ANORA ISLAND B c I PONAM ISLAND j PITYllU •• SORI ISLAND I ~ HUS ISLAND J •••• SSONG @ • HARBOUR / I 0 0 ISLANDS 0° 2"00' ill 8IPl-PAHI 'll 0 ISLANDS CD I I I A I I BISMARCK SEA I RAMBUTYO I I ISL"ND I D I I I I 0 20 KM Figure 2. A comparison of aerial survey sightings to information concerning dugong numbers gath- ered during village patrols. Aerial Surveys: Area A 1978 (March) = 16, (July) = 1, 1979 (April) = 7, (July) = 1, 1980 (July) = 5; Area B 1978 (March) = 26, (July) = 14, 1979 (April) = 3, (July) = 13, 1980 (July) = 4; Area C 1978 (March) = 4, (July) = 3, 1979 (April) = 6, (July) = I, 1980 (July) = 4; Area D 1978 (March) = 3, (July) = 12, 1979 (April) = I, (July) = 12, 1980 (July) = 29. Village patrol information: numbers within circles show the location and number of dugongs reportedly seen reg- ularly. The numbers within triangles show the total number of du£ongs reported in comparison to aerial survey areas A, B, C and D. meetings usually last for about 2 hours and people with the most detailed knowledge are asked if we can talk with them after the meeting. Such detailed talks can take many hours. While in the village, talks are often given at the local school where extension materials, such as badges, posters and booklets are distributed. In the evening, films are shown of Wildlife Management Areas, the animals of Papua New Guinea, and other topics of interest. Preliminary habitat surveys are made and any other important data is collected concerning dugong and other marine and terrestrial wildlife, whilst we are on patrol. We feel that such extension work to collect and disseminate information is one of the most important aspects of our work. (Hudson, 1980). We therefore take great trouble to listen carefully and at length to what people have to tell us. We usually have an officer with us from the Province who is well known to the village people and we try and return to the village on a regular basis to develop rapport with the villagers. Such work cannot be rushed, and the attitude of the interviewer and knowledge of the local language is most important in this work. The Western Islands of the Province have not been visited as they reportedly do not have a population of dugongs, although one dugong is suppposed to live near a lagoon in the Ninigo Islands. Specific details of the patrol work can be found in Hudson (in prep.). RESULTS OF VILLAGE PATROLS Below is a synthesis of interesting information collected on the patrols (Fig. 2), All the village people said that dugongs were two to three times more nu- merous before World War II than today. Years ago people had strong tradi- tionallaws about the protection of reef areas, on a clan basis. They could hunt dugongs for funeral, marriage or birth celebration feasts or other special occasions, on their own clan "owned" reefs. In recent years these laws have broken down and dugongs are now hunted opportunistically with spears instead of the tradi- tional nets. Dynamite was used for fishing but the people soon realized the de- structiveness of this technique and now ban its use. HUDSON: DUGONG SURVEY, MANUS, NEW GUINEA 665 14 ·00' NARES HARBOUR PONAM ISLAND .. I .-. ANORA ISLAND PITYILU ISLAND ~'~?R~ ISLAND .~ ~.': : :.e ~ .. ~~S.I~~AND / SEEADLER HARBOUR MASSONG 0 •.