f th Lady o e Sea DUGONGS RESPECT AND PROTECT Dugong profile for range states in the Pacific Islands Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme SRMP EP EMBERS DUGONG RANGE STAtes Dugong Range States in the Pacific SPREP Library/IRC Cataloguing-in-Publication Data CONTENTS Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) Dugongs - respect and protect : dugong profile for range states in the Pacific Islands. – Apia, Samoa : SPREP, 2011. Introduction DAVDSH I EPPARD, DIRECTOR, SPREP 3 24 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm. ISBN: 978-982-04-0435-9 (print) Pacific Year of the Dugong: Respect and Protect 4 978-982-04-0436-6 (online) 1. Marine mammals – Oceania. 2. Marine resource conservation – Oceania. 3. Dugongs – Protection – Oceania. I. Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) II. Title. Pacific Islanders Celebrate PYOD 5 599.55 Cover photograph: Mother dugong with calf © Colin Riddell SPREP Celebrates Regional Launch 6 Original dugong drawings, pp 4, 7, 10: from an art contest organized by the Environment Initiation Centre and the Southern Province,New Caledonia, 2010 Design: Joanne Aitken, The Little Design Company Palau Unveils Lady of the Sea Carving 9 Compiled by: Clive Hawigen With assistance from SPREP team: Lui Bell, Marine Species Officer; Nanette Woonton, Media and Public Relations Officer Australia DUGONG PROFILE 10 Contributors: Dugong range states in the Pacific © SPREP 2011 New Caledonia DUGONG PROFILE 12 The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme authorizes the reproduction of this material, whole or in part, provided appropriate acknowledgment is given. Palau DUGONG PROFILE 14 This publication is also available electronically from SPREP’s web site: www.sprep.org SPREP T: +685 21 929 PO BOX 240 F: +685 20 231 Papua New Guinea DUGONG PROFILE 16 Apia E: [email protected] Samoa W: www.sprep.org Bionesian Blog: http//bionesian.blogspot.com/ Solomon Islands DUGONG PROFILE 18 The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programe (SPREP) is the intergovern- mental ageny charged with the protection and sustainable management of the Pacific is- land region’s environment. SPREP’s vision is for a Pacific Environment, sustaining our liveli- Vanuatu DUGONG PROFILE 20 hoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures. SPREP works at the forefront of regional efforts to address environmental concerns by providing national-level technical advice programme support, human and institutional capacity building and coordinated Pacific Dugong FATSETC HE 22 regional responses to global issues and international agreements. The SPREP membership comprises 21 Pacific island countries and territories and Australia, New Zealand, France and United States of America. The work of SPREP is guided by a 5-year strategic Plan (2011- Pacific Seagrasses FATSETC HE 24 2015) which was formally adopted at the 21st SPREP Meeting in Papua New Guinea in Sep- tember 2010. For more information regarding SPREP and SREP’s contributions to conser- vation, resource management and sustainable development, please visit: www.sprep.org. Working together to save Dugong FATSETC HE 6 2 2 ITDUCTIONN RO P acific Year of the Dugong David Sheppard, Director, SPREP 2011 was declared the Pacific Year of the Dugong (PYOD). With a regional theme “Respect and Protect,” this campaign aimed at increasing protection of dugongs and their habitats by raising awareness, improving knowledge and fostering partnerships for conservation of dugongs and their habitats. Dugongs have high cultural value and are a valued • The dugong population in Palau is considered source of food, medicine and artifacts and thus are to be the most isolated in the world, and in an important species for coastal people. Dugongs addition to threats facing this population, it can also play a significant ecological role in maintaining be classified as “critically endangered”. coastal habitats. They feed in shallow waters often • Dugongs are also of high cultural value in many within areas that fall under traditional ownership or parts of their range, a valued source of food, community fishing grounds. medicine and artifacts and a flagship species for Even though dugongs occur in the waters of only coastal peoples. 6 of the SPREP members (Australia, New Caledo- • There is not much information available on dugong nia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and populations in the SPREP region and much work Vanuatu), the proposal to declare 2011 as the Pacif- is needed to improve information, awareness and ic Year of the Dugong received strong support and ultimately their management and protection. was endorsed by SPREP members at the 21st SPREP annual meeting held in Papua New Guinea in Sep- There were four main objectives to the PYOD tember 2010. Dugongs are one of the three groups campaign. These were to promote awareness and of marine animals of conservation concern that the conservation of dugongs at site level targeting key SPREP marine species programme focus on. The oth- stewards and the fishing industry; reduce dugong ers are marine turtles and cetacean (whales and dol- mortality from human activities; improve status phins) and each has a 5-year regional action plan. information and promote sustainable management of dugong populations and protection of their The campaign was considered necessary due to habitats at the national level through effective several factors, for example: practical national legislation; and policies and • Dugongs are considered vulnerable to extinction advance partnerships and to secure resources for on the global scale. long term support for dugong conservation in the region. • Dugong is the only surviving member of the family Dugongidae, with its closest relative, Stellar’s sea- This publication will give an overview of the six cow, hunted to extinction within 27 years of its dugong range states in the Pacific region and discovery in the eighteenth century. the measures they have in place to conserve and protect these pristine “ladies of the sea.” It will also • They have disappeared from several areas highlight some of the events that have taken place including waters off Mauritius, Taiwan, western Sri since the Pacific Year of the Dugong was launched. Lanka and the Maldives. This can be a reality in our region as well. David Sheppard, Director, SPREP 3 P acific Year of the Dugong: Respect and Protect Photos © Colin Riddell he campaign to progress the protection of the dugong, led by the Secretariat of Pacific T Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and its partner the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS), targeted local coastal and fishing communities and water craft users in the Pacific region. Awareness and outreach activities highlighting coastal and islands waters from East Africa to the need for protection of dugongs in the Pacific Vanuatu in the Pacific. Islands region were the focus of the campaign Specific to the Pacific Islands region, SPREP has a re- which was initiated through national launches gional Dugong Action Plan 2008–2012. The plan fo- and country activites in New Caledonia, Palau, cuses on nine key areas: education and aware- Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and ness, habitat protection, management, Vanuatu. traditional knowledge and resource A number of initiatives to management, capacity building, build local capacity to de- threat reduction, research and liver positive conservation monitoring, collaboration and outcomes for dugongs in the human and financial resourc- Pacific Islands region were es. Also the conservation also promoted throughout and plan developed under the Pacific Year of the Dugong. the United Nations Environ- ment Programme/CMS Mem- A new pilot project by CMS orandum of Understanding on using financial incentives to the Conservation and Manage- address direct hunting and the ment of Dugongs and their Habitats incidental capture of dugongs by throughout their Range (Dugong MoU) changing people’s practices and improving provides the framework for the cooperation for the livelihoods of local communities in Daru Papua the long-term protection of dugongs in their range. New Guinea was among the initiatives promoted All range states in the Pacific Islands region under the Pacific Year of the Dugong 2011. (Australia, Papua New Guinea, Palau, France (New Dugongs, which play a significant ecological role Caledonia), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) have in the functioning of coastal habitats, live in warm committed to the Dugong CMS MoU as signatories. 4 Photo © Simon Allen P acific Islanders Celebrate 2011R YEA OF DUGONG Photo © GBRMPA ugong protection in the Pacific Islands region was highlighted in 2011 as part of the D Pacific Year of the Dugong. It proved to be a boost to the conservation of the species and its seagrass habitats. The regional campaign was launched in Korror, would be an effective deterrent within the general Palau in March 2011 by President Johnson Toribiong community. and Minister of Natural Resources, Environment & Raising the awareness on the status of dugongs Tourism, Hon. Harry Fritz. and related aspects including existing legislation Palau hosts the smallest, most remote and critically was also raised as an important area for immediate endangered dugong population in the region. attention. In launching the regional campaign Palau also Hon. Victor Yano, Minister of State, closed the commenced their national campaign with the launch by confirming Palau’s Government full reminder by President Toribiong that we are commitment