International
International researchers have been forced to conclude that the iconic dugong is now ‘functionally extinct’ in Chinese waters, which are home to a third of the world’s marine mammal species. 788 fishers from 66 villages in four southern Chinese maritime provinces were surveyed, but only 37 had ever seen a dugong in the wild. The average date of these sightings was 23 years ago, with only three sightings reported within the past five years. The term ‘functionally extinct’ means that even if there are some dugongs remaining in these waters, there aren’t enough to play a significant role in the local ecosystem, nor to sustain the population long-term. The rapid decline of this species can be attributed to deliberate hunting and wide-spread destruction of shallow water habitats due to fisheries and other commercial marine activities.
From:
Dugong extinction – Dugongs are now likely to be functionally extinct in China, due to human-caused degradation of seagrass beds and historical hunting. Analysis of historical data and a large-scale interview survey in 66 fishing communities across four Chinese provinces around the South China Sea found the most recent dugong report dated from 2008. The finding highlights the need for effective evidence based conservation strategies for threatened marine mammals.
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