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		<title>Conservation news</title>
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		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/dugong/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:28:07 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<title>News on Dugong</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/dugong/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Thai island community rallies to protect beloved dugongs, revive declining seagrass</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/thai-island-community-rallies-to-protect-beloved-dugongs-revive-declining-seagrass/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/thai-island-community-rallies-to-protect-beloved-dugongs-revive-declining-seagrass/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 May 2026 01:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Carolyn Cowan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/20144955/9.-IMG_9401_Tipusa-Sansawang-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319813</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Southeast Asia, and Thailand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Coastal Ecosystems, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Dugong, Ecosystems, Fisheries, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Mammals, Marine Protected Areas, Oceans, Restoration, Seagrass, Solutions, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KOH LIBONG, Thailand — Growing up on the island of Koh Libong, Tipusa Sangsawang remembers fondly how vast numbers of dugongs used to feed on local seagrass meadows teaming with fish, crabs and mollusks. “Out there, it was like a football field,” Tipusa says, as she watches waves lap across a seemingly barren sandflat that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KOH LIBONG, Thailand — Growing up on the island of Koh Libong, Tipusa Sangsawang remembers fondly how vast numbers of dugongs used to feed on local seagrass meadows teaming with fish, crabs and mollusks. “Out there, it was like a football field,” Tipusa says, as she watches waves lap across a seemingly barren sandflat that fringes this stretch of shoreline. “It used to be green all around this area. Now, it’s only sand.” Fascinated by dugongs (Dugong dugon) since childhood, Tipusa remembers forming a special bond with one particular individual. Marium was an infant dugong brought into the care of marine officials in mid-2019 after fishers discovered her stranded ashore in Krabi province. With no mother or herd, she was moved to a semiwild enclosure farther south in Trang province, near Koh Libong, where authorities hoped to rehabilitate her. Tipusa was a member of the recovery team. She devoted all her time to Marium, swimming alongside her and monitoring her progress daily. The chubby and charismatic youngster quickly became a national sweetheart through social media. “She was like an angel who came to us with a message from the ocean,” Tipusa says. Despite the team’s efforts, Marium died 114 days after her initial rescue, having contracted a blood infection that autopsies indicated was likely linked to plastic ingestion. Her death sparked a rise in public awareness of marine plastic pollution in Thailand. The loss also strengthened Tipusa’s resolve to protect ocean life. “I told Marium she would be the last&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/thai-island-community-rallies-to-protect-beloved-dugongs-revive-declining-seagrass/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/thai-island-community-rallies-to-protect-beloved-dugongs-revive-declining-seagrass/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-319813</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Arabian Gulf’s fragile marine ecosystem threatened by current crisis (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 May 2026 15:06:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Razan Al Mubarak]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/11143229/050A0598-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319117</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Abu Dhabi, Iran, Middle East, and Persian Gulf]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Coastal Ecosystems, Commentary, Conflict, Dugong, Ecosystems, Estuaries, Marine, Marine Animals, Oceans, Oil, Oil Spills, Pollution, Seabirds, War, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[At this time of year, the waters of the Arabian Gulf support one of the most significant gatherings of marine life anywhere in the world. Thousands of dugongs congregate in shallow coastal areas, including mother-and-calf pairs, dependent on the 3,000 square kilometers (well over 1,000 square miles) of seagrass meadows in Abu Dhabi waters. Along [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[At this time of year, the waters of the Arabian Gulf support one of the most significant gatherings of marine life anywhere in the world. Thousands of dugongs congregate in shallow coastal areas, including mother-and-calf pairs, dependent on the 3,000 square kilometers (well over 1,000 square miles) of seagrass meadows in Abu Dhabi waters. Along the same coastline, sea turtles return to nest, seabirds enter their breeding season, and migratory birds pass through wetlands that connect continents. Mangroves and coral reefs line these coasts. These ecosystems exist alongside the same coastal zones that support cities, energy and industrial infrastructure. They also underpin human life across the region. Tens of millions of people depend on desalination, drawing seawater from these same environments. Their survival, like ours, depends on clean water, intact habitats and stable environmental conditions. I have had the rare privilege, through my work, to witness these systems up close. Their richness is extraordinary, but so too is their fragility. The danger is that war turns that fragility into lasting damage. Indian Ocean humpback dolphin in Mangrove Marine National Park, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Image courtesy of Maitha Bughanoom. An airstrike on an oil tanker, or a collision, fire or loss of control by one of these vessels would release oil or other pollutants into shallow waters, where they spread rapidly across seagrass beds and coastal habitats. Water quality declines, oxygen levels fall, nesting sites are lost, and breeding cycles are disrupted. Local populations can collapse, and recovery becomes uncertain. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-319117</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Drones aid dugong conservation as threats mount across their range</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drones-aid-dugong-conservation-as-threats-mount-across-their-range/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drones-aid-dugong-conservation-as-threats-mount-across-their-range/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Apr 2026 18:03:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mark Hillsdon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rebecca Kessler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/16142053/BANNER-Dugong_Marsa_Alam-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=317639</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Drones, Dugong, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Fishing, Habitat Degradation, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Mammals, Oceans, Research, Saving Species From Extinction, Seagrass, and Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Drone technology is providing important new insights into the lives of dugongs, while also revealing the vital role they play in managing seagrass meadows, one of the ocean’s most important carbon sinks. Often referred to as sea cows, dugongs (Dugong dugon) are marine herbivores that can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) long and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Drone technology is providing important new insights into the lives of dugongs, while also revealing the vital role they play in managing seagrass meadows, one of the ocean’s most important carbon sinks. Often referred to as sea cows, dugongs (Dugong dugon) are marine herbivores that can grow up to 3 meters (10 feet) long and weigh up to 420 kilograms (925 pounds). They feed almost exclusively on seagrass in shallow coastal waters across a wide range in the Indian and southeastern Pacific oceans. However, their population spread was revealed to be extremely uneven in an August 2025 report, published by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and touted as “offering the most comprehensive global update on the status and conservation needs of dugongs in over two decades.” By far the largest concentration of dugongs is in Australia, where an estimated 166,000 live in the country’s coastal waters, the CMS report shows. Other hotspots include the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, and Indonesia, while around 300 dugongs live along the coast of Mozambique, their last stronghold in Africa. But elsewhere the picture is less healthy. The IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority, has listed the dugong as globally vulnerable to extinction for more than 40 years now. Some jurisdictions, such as the French territory of New Caledonia and Japan’s Nasei Islands, have listed the dugong as endangered. In 2022, research declared the species extinct in China. According to Helene Marsh, a professor of environmental sciences&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drones-aid-dugong-conservation-as-threats-mount-across-their-range/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/drones-aid-dugong-conservation-as-threats-mount-across-their-range/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-317639</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Nickel mining damage near UNESCO site stirs outrage in southern Philippines</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-damage-near-unesco-site-stirs-outrage-in-southern-philippines/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-damage-near-unesco-site-stirs-outrage-in-southern-philippines/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Oct 2025 22:21:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Bong S. Sarmiento]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/10/23043732/pujada-nickel-project-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=308163</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Philippines, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Deforestation, Dugong, Environment, Forests, Habitat Loss, Mining, Mountains, Protected Areas, Rivers, Roads, Sea Turtles, Water, Whale Sharks, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[MINDANAO, Philippines — A nickel mining project in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao is facing renewed calls for closure after a recent government inspection revealed that strip mining there has stripped bare about 200 hectares (494 acres) of forest land in an ecologically sensitive area. The Pujada Nickel Project, in the province of Davao [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[MINDANAO, Philippines — A nickel mining project in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao is facing renewed calls for closure after a recent government inspection revealed that strip mining there has stripped bare about 200 hectares (494 acres) of forest land in an ecologically sensitive area. The Pujada Nickel Project, in the province of Davao Oriental, stands about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site and ASEAN Heritage Park. It also sits 7 km (4.3 mi) upstream from Pujada Bay, a nationally protected seascape into which several rivers and creeks within the Mount Hamiguitan sanctuary drain, including waterways affected by the mining venture. The Pujada mine is operated by Hallmark Mining Corporation and Austral-Asia Link Mining Corporation under the management of Asiaticus Management Corporation, which are all controlled by Filipino mining investor Pedro O. Tan and his family. Part of a 2004 action plan to revitalize the nation’s mining industry, the project was awarded a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement in the same year and began commercial shipments in 2016. Due to its proximity to two protected areas and the anticipated environmental damage associated with large-scale mining, the project has faced opposition for more than a decade from the community-based Macambol Multi-Sectoral Association for Integral Development, the regional environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) and the Catholic Diocese of Mati. The Pujada Nickel Mining Project leaves a brown swathe of deforested land, sandwiched between the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-damage-near-unesco-site-stirs-outrage-in-southern-philippines/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/nickel-mining-damage-near-unesco-site-stirs-outrage-in-southern-philippines/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-308163</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Rare dugong calf sighting in Alor spotlights seagrass &#038; marine mammal conservation</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/rare-dugong-calf-sighting-in-alor-spotlights-seagrass-marine-mammal-conservation/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/rare-dugong-calf-sighting-in-alor-spotlights-seagrass-marine-mammal-conservation/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Oct 2025 04:54:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/10/20120503/01-Dugong-Alor_Juraij-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=307968</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Animals, Biodiversity, Cetaceans, Conservation, Dugong, Endangered Species, Environment, Fisheries, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A rare sighting of a baby dugong off Alor in East Nusa Tenggara has sparked renewed attention to the importance of protecting Indonesia’s seagrass ecosystems and marine wildlife. A short video was released Oct. 10 by the environmental foundation WWF-Indonesia showing the first documented appearance of a baby dugong (Dugong dugon) in the waters of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A rare sighting of a baby dugong off Alor in East Nusa Tenggara has sparked renewed attention to the importance of protecting Indonesia’s seagrass ecosystems and marine wildlife. A short video was released Oct. 10 by the environmental foundation WWF-Indonesia showing the first documented appearance of a baby dugong (Dugong dugon) in the waters of Alor’s Mali Beach, where conservationists have conducted monitoring since 2016. The calf was observed swimming alongside two adult dugongs, known as Mawar (male) and Melati (female), by a member of the Kabola Fishermen Communication Forum. “I had seen the dugong calf before, but it usually avoided boats along with Melati, unlike Mawar,” Onesimus La’a, the chairman of the forum, said in a statement. Mawar, the male dugong, off Mali beach in Alor. Image courtesy of WWF-Indonesia/Alda Rizkiani. &nbsp; Dugongs, close relatives of manatees, are the world’s only marine mammals that feed solely on seagrass. Their global numbers have declined sharply due to hunting and the loss of seagrass habitats. With slow reproductive rates — year-long pregnancies and extended calf care — they face mounting survival pressures. Listed as globally vulnerable by the IUCN, their conservation status varies by region and can be far more critical in some areas. “The presence of two other dugongs besides Mawar proves that the seagrass ecosystem at Mali Beach, Alor, has the ecological qualities to provide habitat and food sources for dugongs,” Ranny R. Yunenin, the national coordinator for the protected and endangered marine species program at WWF-Indonesia, said in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/rare-dugong-calf-sighting-in-alor-spotlights-seagrass-marine-mammal-conservation/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/10/rare-dugong-calf-sighting-in-alor-spotlights-seagrass-marine-mammal-conservation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-307968</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Dugong numbers plummet amid seagrass decline in Thailand’s Andaman Sea</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/dugong-numbers-plummet-amid-seagrass-decline-in-thailands-andaman-sea/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/dugong-numbers-plummet-amid-seagrass-decline-in-thailands-andaman-sea/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Apr 2025 09:04:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Carolyn Cowan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Isabel Esterman]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/04/10084148/1.-Banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=297376</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Southeast Asia, and Thailand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Climate, Climate Change, Coastal Ecosystems, Conservation, Dredging, Dugong, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Fisheries, Green, Habitat Degradation, Habitat Loss, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Mammals, Marine Protected Areas, Oceans, Research, Restoration, Seagrass, Sedimentation, Tipping points, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Unprecedented numbers of emaciated dugongs have washed up dead along Thailand’s Andaman Sea coast over the past three years, prompting marine scientists to urgently investigate what’s driving their decline. Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) recorded an average 42 dugong (Dugong dugon) fatalities in 2023 and 2024 — more than double the annual [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Unprecedented numbers of emaciated dugongs have washed up dead along Thailand’s Andaman Sea coast over the past three years, prompting marine scientists to urgently investigate what’s driving their decline. Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) recorded an average 42 dugong (Dugong dugon) fatalities in 2023 and 2024 — more than double the annual losses recorded between 2019 and 2022. The increase seems to be continuing into 2025, with 12 fatalities recorded as of April 9. Autopsy data reported by the DMCR indicate at least 40% of the deaths in 2024 were likely due to starvation following the widespread depletion of seagrass, the species’ primary food source. In recent years, scientists have recorded concerning die-offs in key seagrass areas along the Andaman coast in provinces including Trang, Krabi and Phuket. Once flourishing habitats full of fish, crabs, turtles and dugongs, many seagrass meadows have deteriorated into barren stretches of sand. What’s more, cases of dugongs being killed by boat strikes and fishing bycatch have also increased as the animals leave depleted foraging grounds to venture into unfamiliar, riskier waters in search of sustenance. “When they move to other areas they’re not familiar [with], there are other threats like boat traffic,” Petch Manopawitr, a marine ecologist who’s advising government agencies on the dugong situation, told Mongabay. “Clearly, they’re going everywhere they can to try and find food.” A dugong photographed by drone in Thailand. Researchers use the marks on the animals&#8217; backs to identify individuals. Image courtesy of Theerasak Saksritawee.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/dugong-numbers-plummet-amid-seagrass-decline-in-thailands-andaman-sea/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/dugong-numbers-plummet-amid-seagrass-decline-in-thailands-andaman-sea/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-297376</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Sumatran dugong hunter struggles to adapt to changing times</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jan 2024 00:53:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Dody HidayatYogi Eka Sahputra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Philip Jacobson]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/01/02180656/dugong-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=277278</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Riau Islands, Southeast Asia, and Sumatra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Dugong, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Governance, Illegal Fishing, Marine, Marine Conservation, Marine Mammals, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[BINTAN ISLAND, Indonesia — Ever since Munsa was a young man, he would quietly paddle a small boat past the mangroves on Air Glubi Island into the Kawal Sea armed with a harpoon. “Anyone can spearfish, but approaching dugongs is what’s challenging,” Munsa said at his home in the Bintan Archipelago, a clutch of islands [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[BINTAN ISLAND, Indonesia — Ever since Munsa was a young man, he would quietly paddle a small boat past the mangroves on Air Glubi Island into the Kawal Sea armed with a harpoon. “Anyone can spearfish, but approaching dugongs is what’s challenging,” Munsa said at his home in the Bintan Archipelago, a clutch of islands around 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Singapore. The dugong (Dugong dugon) is one of four surviving species in the Sirenia taxonomy (the other three are African, Amazonian and West Indian manatees). However, global populations of dugongs have declined, owing to demand for the animal’s meat, oil and ivory. In an average week, Munsa would sneak up on a dozen of the herbivorous mammals, which feed on grasses growing on the seafloor throughout East Africa and the Indo-Pacific region. Munsa used to receive up to 15 million rupiah ($1,000) from traders at a time just for the animal’s “tears,” which hunters gather from the animal’s eyes and are considered by some to be an aphrodisiac. By his own admission, he was a prolific hunter of the vulnerable animal. “I’d lose count — in the past, there could be tens of dugongs in a month,” Munsa said. “I have been hunting dugongs since I was young.” Today, in his mid-70s, Munsa is known to people in his village as the last of the community’s dugong hunters. At his home on Air Glubi Island, Munsa displays a spear for hunting dugongs. Image by Yogi Eka Sahputra for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/sumatran-dugong-hunter-struggles-to-adapt-to-changing-times/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-277278</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>‘Critically endangered&#8217; listing for East African dugong population is needed (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/10/critically-endangered-listing-for-east-african-dugong-population-is-needed-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/10/critically-endangered-listing-for-east-african-dugong-population-is-needed-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Oct 2022 14:30:37 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Evan Trotzuk]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/08/11032625/Dugong-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=261414</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Mozambique]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Commentary, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Dugong, Endangered Species, Extinction, Mammals, Marine Mammals, Oceans, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Once common in East Africa, there is now only one known viable dugong population found in this entire region. With just a few hundred left in the waters around the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park in Mozambique, this makes up approximately 90% of the remaining East African dugong population and unless protected, the extinction of these [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Once common in East Africa, there is now only one known viable dugong population found in this entire region. With just a few hundred left in the waters around the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park in Mozambique, this makes up approximately 90% of the remaining East African dugong population and unless protected, the extinction of these elusive marine mammals in East Africa could be inevitable. Found in relative abundance in parts of northern Australia, dugongs are currently listed globally as ‘vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. But over the past few decades their numbers in East Africa have plummeted due to indiscriminate fishing and development. By proposing that the East African dugong population is listed as ‘critically endangered,’ a significant incentive will be established to support the long-term protection of these marine mammals. Myself and others on the Bazaruto research team recently published a peer-reviewed paper, &#8220;Focused and inclusive actions could ensure the persistence of East Africa&#8217;s last known viable dugong subpopulation,&#8221; which proposes the East African dugong population be listed as ‘critically endangered’ on the IUCN Red List, a globally recognized measure of extinction vulnerability. The IUCN Red List uses precise criteria to evaluate the level of vulnerability of the world’s flora and fauna species so that levels of protection can be measured to prevent their extinction. Dugong at Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, Mozambique. Image courtesy of Evan Trotzuk/African Parks. Threats to dugongs and people Traditionally, dugongs have been anthropomorphized in many parts of the world. Europeans&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/10/critically-endangered-listing-for-east-african-dugong-population-is-needed-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/10/critically-endangered-listing-for-east-african-dugong-population-is-needed-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-261414</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Stranded dugong in Indonesia reportedly cut up for traditional medicine</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/stranded-dugong-in-indonesia-reportedly-cut-up-for-traditional-medicine/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/stranded-dugong-in-indonesia-reportedly-cut-up-for-traditional-medicine/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Aug 2021 14:17:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Nurdin Tubaka]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Basten Gokkon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/08/20092306/dugong-alor2-cWWF-Indonesia-Tutus-Wijanarko-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=246185</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Indonesia, Maluku, and Southeast Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Animals, Biodiversity, Cetaceans, Conservation, Dugong, Endangered Species, Environment, Fisheries, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Wildlife, and Wildlife Rescues]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[AMBON, Indonesia — Conservation officials in Indonesia have deplored the cutting up of a dugong that had died in a stranding incident this week, with its body parts reportedly destined for use in traditional medicine. Two dugongs (Dugong dugon) beached on the morning of Aug. 18 on Kelang Island, in the eastern province of Maluku. [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[AMBON, Indonesia — Conservation officials in Indonesia have deplored the cutting up of a dugong that had died in a stranding incident this week, with its body parts reportedly destined for use in traditional medicine. Two dugongs (Dugong dugon) beached on the morning of Aug. 18 on Kelang Island, in the eastern province of Maluku. One of them managed to return to sea, but the other didn’t, despite the efforts of locals to push it back out into the water. The animal reportedly died with multiple wounds. “There were some wounds all over its body: a couple on its head and another on its leg,” Mohammad Aswan, a resident who witnessed the incident, told Mongabay Indonesia. “There wasn’t any official team deployed to identify the dugong, maybe because of the [COVID-19] pandemic.” The body of the stranded dugong in Indonesia’s Maluku province. Image by Mongabay Indonesia. According to reports gathered by Mongabay Indonesia, the locals cut up the dugong after it had died and distributed the parts among themselves for use in traditional medicine. The rest of the animal’s carcass was buried near the stranding site. The dugong is a protected species under Indonesian law, and possession of its body parts, even after a natural death, is a crime punishable by up to five years in jail and 100 million rupiah ($6,900) in fines.Indonesian marine conservation authorities have deplored cutting up the stranded dugong for consumption by locals as it may be contaminated by bacteria that can transmit to humans&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/stranded-dugong-in-indonesia-reportedly-cut-up-for-traditional-medicine/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/stranded-dugong-in-indonesia-reportedly-cut-up-for-traditional-medicine/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-246185</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Dugong deaths in Sri Lanka lend urgency to calls for stronger protections</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/dugong-deaths-in-sri-lanka-lend-urgency-to-calls-for-stronger-protections/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/dugong-deaths-in-sri-lanka-lend-urgency-to-calls-for-stronger-protections/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jul 2021 11:06:18 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Malaka Rodrigo]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Dilrukshi Handunnetti]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/07/12102825/2.-Dugong-found-near-Norochcholei-3-15.03.2021-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=244672</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, South Asia, and Sri Lanka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Dugong, Endangered Species, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[PUTTALAM, Sri Lanka — Samith Fernando runs a tour boat service in Puttalam Lagoon, a scenic spot about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. In 2017, he says, he spotted one of the most elusive sea mammals that inhabit Sri Lanka’s waters: dugongs (Dugong dugon). It wasn’t just a single [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[PUTTALAM, Sri Lanka — Samith Fernando runs a tour boat service in Puttalam Lagoon, a scenic spot about 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Colombo, Sri Lanka’s commercial capital. In 2017, he says, he spotted one of the most elusive sea mammals that inhabit Sri Lanka’s waters: dugongs (Dugong dugon). It wasn’t just a single dugong, either. Fernando says he saw a family of five before they quickly disappeared in the murky waters. He never saw any dugongs again after that, despite operating boat tours daily, and that lone encounter remains deeply etched in his mind. A dugong body found in March, a possible victim of blast fishing. Image courtesy of Ranil P. Nanayakkara. Then in March this year, a new sighting was reported: a dead dugong had washed up dead in a different part of the lagoon. Two weeks later, there was another dead dugong. Fernando says he didn’t go to see either, fearful they were from the family he’d spotted four years earlier. Both were about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and hence considered juveniles, about 7 years old, says Ranil Nanayakkara of Biodiversity Education and Research (BEAR). Dugongs are thought to live to about 70 years in the wild, which means these two died of unnatural causes, he says. “The first dugong could be a victim of fish net entanglement, but the second one is definitely a victim of blast fishing, evident by the blood strains coming out of its eyes and nose,” Nanayakkara, a member of the IUCN/SSC&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/dugong-deaths-in-sri-lanka-lend-urgency-to-calls-for-stronger-protections/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/07/dugong-deaths-in-sri-lanka-lend-urgency-to-calls-for-stronger-protections/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-244672</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>US ambassador reiterates commitment to controversial Okinawa air base, a setback for endangered dugong</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/07/us-ambassador-reiterates-commitment-to-controversial-okinawa-air-base-a-setback-for-endangered-dugong/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/07/us-ambassador-reiterates-commitment-to-controversial-okinawa-air-base-a-setback-for-endangered-dugong/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2015 15:06:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Greg Norman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rebecca Kessler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2015/07/us-ambassador-reiterates-commitment-to-controversial-okinawa-air-base-a-setback-for-endangered-dugong</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Japan, North America, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Coral Reefs, Development, Dugong, Environment, Green, and Military]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A dugong in Egypt. The species, a relative of the manatee, faces threats across its wide range, which includes 48 countries. Photo credit: Matthijs. Okinawa, Japan&#8217;s southernmost prefecture, has a long history of US military presence on its tropical islands. This presence has not always been universally welcome. A longstanding plan to relocate the major [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A dugong in Egypt. The species, a relative of the manatee, faces threats across its wide range, which includes 48 countries. Photo credit: Matthijs. Okinawa, Japan&#8217;s southernmost prefecture, has a long history of US military presence on its tropical islands. This presence has not always been universally welcome. A longstanding plan to relocate the major Futenma airbase from the urbanized northeast of the island to a coastal site in Henoko Bay in the less-populated north has provoked the ire of many local residents, the local government, and numerous NGOs. They claim the development, which is in preparatory stages, will cause catastrophic environmental damage and seal the fate in the region of the iconic dugong (Dugong dugon), an elusive and gentle herbivore that is a cousin of the manatee. Hopes of a long-awaited breakthrough were raised recently when it was announced that Caroline Kennedy, the US ambassador to Japan, was scheduled to meet Takeshi Onaga, the governor of Okinawa who was elected last November on a platform of opposition to the US plan. But hope soon turned to frustration. In a statement issued by the US embassy in Tokyo following the meeting on June 19, Kennedy reiterated that the Henoko location remains the &#8220;only solution&#8221; for the new Marine Corps air base as far as the US is concerned. For his part, Onaga claims that the ambassador has not responded to a request from the prefectural government to conduct environmental research in the waters around Henoko that are currently controlled by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2015/07/us-ambassador-reiterates-commitment-to-controversial-okinawa-air-base-a-setback-for-endangered-dugong/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-62769</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Where have all the dugongs gone?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/12/where-have-all-the-dugongs-gone/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/12/where-have-all-the-dugongs-gone/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Dec 2013 20:49:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Shreya Dasgupta]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Tiffany Roufs]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2013/12/where-have-all-the-dugongs-gone/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Atlantic Forest and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Dugong, Environment, Green, Habitat Loss, Hunting, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Mammals, Poaching, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Legend has it that lonely sailors mistook them for beautiful, mythical mermaids. But as it turns out, the muse behind these beguiling sea nymphs was instead the dugong – a rather ungainly, gentle and mini-bus sized marine mammal, cousin to the manatees and part of the sea cow family. However, while they may have once [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Legend has it that lonely sailors mistook them for beautiful, mythical mermaids. But as it turns out, the muse behind these beguiling sea nymphs was instead the dugong – a rather ungainly, gentle and mini-bus sized marine mammal, cousin to the manatees and part of the sea cow family. However, while they may have once fuelled stories for fairytales and Disney movies, their far-from-glamorous life is currently under serious threat in many parts of the world. One such threatened population dwells in the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean. The dugong (Dugong dugon) distribution here has plummeted by more than fifty percent over the last 50 years, according to a recent study published in PlosOne. In the sites where dugongs persist, the researchers found that they show location fidelity, seeking out the same areas they did 50 years ago instead of populating new ones. A dugong swimming. Photo by Vardhan Patankar. Researchers Elrika D&#8217;Souza and Vardhan Patankar began studying dugongs in 2007, their first encounter with one of these gentle giants lasting over a five-hour swim. Currently at the Nature Conservation Foundation at Bangalore, India, D&#8217;Souza and Patankar continued to observe the behavior of the few dugongs of the archipelago they could individually spot and identify. But as reports of dugongs in the area declined, they decided to broaden their study to include the local distribution of dugongs in the past as well as the present. To achieve this, D&#8217;Souza and her team collected&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2013/12/where-have-all-the-dugongs-gone/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-25981</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Massive shark sanctuary declared in the Coral Triangle</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/11/massive-shark-sanctuary-declared-in-the-coral-triangle/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/11/massive-shark-sanctuary-declared-in-the-coral-triangle/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Nov 2010 17:56:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/11/massive-shark-sanctuary-declared-in-the-coral-triangle/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indonesia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Conservation, Dugong, Ecotourism, Endangered Species, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Green, In-situ Conservation, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Marine Mammals, Marine Protected Areas, Oceans, Protected Areas, Saving Species From Extinction, Sea Turtles, Sharks, Solutions, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A shark sanctuary has been declared around the Raja Ampat islands in Indonesia. Larger than Denmark, the new sanctuary covers 17,760 square miles (46,000 square kilometers) of one of the world&#8217;s richest marine biodiverse region, the Coral Triangle. Protections not only cover sharks, but dugongs, marine turtles, mobulas, and manta rays as well. In addition, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A shark sanctuary has been declared around the Raja Ampat islands in Indonesia. Larger than Denmark, the new sanctuary covers 17,760 square miles (46,000 square kilometers) of one of the world&#8217;s richest marine biodiverse region, the Coral Triangle. Protections not only cover sharks, but dugongs, marine turtles, mobulas, and manta rays as well. In addition, reef bombing and fishing for the aquarium trade are banned. &#8220;Sharks are being killed for their fins, mantas are being killed for their gills, and rare reef fish are being caught for aquariums,&#8221; said Peter Knights, Executive Director of WildAid, a conservation organization that works in the region. &#8220;It’s tragic that so much of Raja Ampat’s biological treasure is destined for consumers who are unaware of the impact.&#8221; Sharks have been devastated worldwide, largely linked to the trade for shark fin soup. Sharks are caught, finned (whereby fishermen cuts off their fins), and then tossed overboard into the ocean to perish. It is estimated that 73 million sharks are killed every year for their fins alone. Seventy-five percent of shark species found in Raja Ampat are threatened with extinction. Campaigners for the new sanctuary hope the move will bring more divers and tourists to the region, thereby offsetting any loss of revenues for local communities due to the new regulations. &#8220;This new Shark Sanctuary owes its creation to thousands of ocean advocates who expressed the urgent need to protect sharks, mantas, and other marine life,&#8221; stated Michael Skoletsky, Executive Director of Shark Savers, a conservation&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/11/massive-shark-sanctuary-declared-in-the-coral-triangle/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-33326</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>What do wolves and sharks have in common?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/11/what-do-wolves-and-sharks-have-in-common/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/11/what-do-wolves-and-sharks-have-in-common/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Nov 2010 19:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/11/what-do-wolves-and-sharks-have-in-common/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Australia and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Carnivores, Dugong, Ecology, Environment, Fish, Forests, Green, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Mammals, Oceans, Plants, Predators, Protected Areas, Rewilding, Sharks, Temperate Forests, Wildlife, and Wolves]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sharks dwell in the ocean, wolves on land; sharks are a type of fish, wolves are a mammal; sharks go back some 400 million years, wolves only some 2 million years. So, these animals should have little in common, right? However, a new study in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment points to surprising similarities [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sharks dwell in the ocean, wolves on land; sharks are a type of fish, wolves are a mammal; sharks go back some 400 million years, wolves only some 2 million years. So, these animals should have little in common, right? However, a new study in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment points to surprising similarities among these disparate animals. As top predators, both wolves and sharks impact their prey and other species in similar ways. By examining interactions between sharks and their prey, dugongs, in Australia, researchers found a number of commonalities between how wolves impacted elk when reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the US. Top predators do not only keep prey populations in check, but, according to a number of studies, establish an &#8216;ecology of fear&#8217; in their prey, whereby the prey&#8217;s day-to-day behavior is constantly affected by the predator&#8217;s presence, i.e. shark and wolf. These impacts go far beyond predator and prey: research has shown that the presence of such predators can significantly impact a whole trove of species from plants to other animals. Top: a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Photo courtesy of Yellowstone National Park. Bottom: a tiger shark. Photo by N. Hammerschlag, courtesy of Oregon State University. &#8220;For too long we&#8217;ve looked at ecosystem functions on land and in the oceans as if they were completely separate,&#8221; said co-author William Ripple with the Department of Forest Ecosystems at Society at Ohio State University in a press release. &#8220;We&#8217;re now finding that there are many&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/11/what-do-wolves-and-sharks-have-in-common/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/11/what-do-wolves-and-sharks-have-in-common/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-33339</doi>				</item>
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					<title>Island nation announces Ukraine-sized sanctuary for whales and dolphins</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/10/island-nation-announces-ukraine-sized-sanctuary-for-whales-and-dolphins/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/10/island-nation-announces-ukraine-sized-sanctuary-for-whales-and-dolphins/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Oct 2010 20:58:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/10/island-nation-announces-ukraine-sized-sanctuary-for-whales-and-dolphins/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Pacific Islands and Pacific Ocean]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Bycatch, Cetaceans, Conservation, Dolphins, Dugong, Ecotourism, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, In-situ Conservation, Islands, Mammals, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Marine Mammals, Marine Protected Areas, Oceans, Pollution, Protected Areas, Sharks, Whales, Whaling, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Dolphins, whales, and dugongs will be safe from hunting in the waters surrounding the Pacific nation of Palau. At the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan, Palau&#8217;s Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, Harry Fritz, announced the establishment of a marine mammal sanctuary covering over 230,000 square miles (600,000 square kilometers) [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[Dolphins, whales, and dugongs will be safe from hunting in the waters surrounding the Pacific nation of Palau. At the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan, Palau&#8217;s Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, Harry Fritz, announced the establishment of a marine mammal sanctuary covering over 230,000 square miles (600,000 square kilometers) of the nation&#8217;s waters, an area the size of Ukraine. &#8220;Palau&#8217;s dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ. This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau,&#8221; Fritz said in Nagoya. Already, last year Palau declared its waters a sanctuary for sharks. Sharks have been decimated worldwide, with some species&#8217; population plunging by 99 percent, due to bycatch, overconsumption, and the shark-fin trade, whereby caught sharks&#8217; fins are cut off and the animals are thrown back into the water to die. The dugong is listed as Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN Red List. Photo by: Julien Willem. Although many populations of whales are rebounding after centuries of commercial whaling, some are still threatened by whaling by Iceland, Japan, and Norway, as well as pollution. Dolphins are often killed as bycatch and suffer from widespread marine pollution. &#8220;Palau, which once supported the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/10/island-nation-announces-ukraine-sized-sanctuary-for-whales-and-dolphins/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-33461</doi>				</item>
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