Media
Below you can find dugong news from media
around the World.
Conserving UAE’s wildlife
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,
19 May 2013 -Abu Dhabi’s environmental body
is currently managing over 50,000 animals throughout the
emirate, according to its recently released 2012 annual
report. The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) began collecting
information about terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems,
starting with the Western Region, in order to assess the
health of land wildlife, effectiveness of environmental
regulations, and highlight key areas for conservation.
[Read
on]
Moreton Bay seagrass projected to drastically decline
with sea level rise
Brisbane, Australia, 18 May 2013
- A new study of the seagrass meadows in Moreton
Bay, Queensland found that a significant proportion of valuable
seagrass habitats would be lost without action to offset
the affects of climate change. "The area of seagrass
habitat was predicted to decline by 17% by 2100 under a
scenario of SLR of 1.1 m." said the study.
[Read
on]
Dugongs are safer in Torres Strait than Townsville
10 May 2013 - “How
many are there?” and “how are they doing?”
are the first questions people usually ask about species
of conservation concern. These seemingly straightforward
questions are tough to answer when it comes to the dugong.
What we do know is that dugongs are generally safer in remote
areas, where traditional hunting is the major pressure,
than they are around coastal urban areas where they are
affected by habitat loss, gill netting, and vessel-strikes,
rather than hunting.
[Read
on]
Among the pawikans and dugongs of Dahican Beach
Maty, Philippines, 10 May 2013
- Mati, the lone city of Davao Oriental, has long
been drawing tourists to its white sand beaches. Dahican
Beach, in particular, is being touted as the skimboarding
capital of the country as well as being an emerging surfing
paradise. It's no surprise, since Dahican is a stunning
seven-kilometer stretch of crescent-shaped white sand coastline,
with towering coconut trees along the sparkling turquoise
waters of Mayo Bay facing the Pacific Ocean.
[Read
on]
Dead dugong discovered east of Phuket prompts local
resident action
Phuket, Thailand, 20 April 2013
- A dead dugong was found floating just off the
coast of Koh Pu in Krabi by a local crab fisherman yesterday
morning, prompting villagers to take action. The young marine
mammal was discovered with a long gash across its snout
in front of the Baan Koh Pu village port and was dragged
to shore by villagers before it was reported to the Phuket
Marine Biological Center (PMBC).
[Read
on]
Are Australian dugongs catching a cold?
Brisbane, Australia, 15 April 2013
- Dugongs in one of Australia's largest populations
appear to be getting sick and dying as a result of exposure
to cold water, say researchers. If confirmed, the findings
may have implications for dugong conservation strategies.
[Read
on]
New book reveals that the Philippines’ marine
mammals on verge of extinction
Manila, Philippines, 5 April
2013 - Local populations of dugong and Irrawaddy
dolphin are on the verge of extinction, according to a new
book released this month detailing the conservation status
of marine mammals found in the Philippines. The book, titled
“Red List Status of Marine Mammals,” assesses
the status of 26 out of 28 marine mammal species and subspecies
found in the Philippines.
[Read
on]
Seagrass-Watch Magazine Issue 47 is online
Cairns, Australia, 3 April 2013
- The latest issue of Seagrass-Watch, the official magazine
of the global seagrass and assessment program, is now available
online. This issue takes a timely look around on the threats
to world’s seagrass: human impacts and mitigation.
.
[Download
the magazine]
Collaborative science behind new marine park
Perth, Australia, 25 March 2013
- The recently announced marine park to be established at
Horizontal Falls along with Kimberley marine parks at Camden
Sound and Eighty Mile Beach, will involve joint management
between the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC)
and Indigenous rangers who will be involved in management
and data collection.
[Read
on]
Experts battle to increase dugongs
Trang Province, Thailand, 21 March
2013 - Marine experts and veterinarians met in
Trang on Thursday to draw up a master plan to increase the
number of dugongs in the sea off this southern province
as they have dropped alarmingly in recent years.
[Read
on]
Sea cows rapidly disappearing from
seas of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu
New Delhi, India, 21 March 2013
- Marine experts and veterinarians met in Trang on Thursday
to draw up a master plan to increase the number of dugongs
in the sea off this southern province as they have dropped
alarmingly in recent years.
[Read
on]
Protection of Sea Cows
New Delhi, 18 March 2013
- Government of India has initiated the assessment of dugongs
distribution, habitat and risks due to fisheries and other
anthropogenic related activities in India following the
standardized Dugong catch/incidental catch survey developed
by UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU Secretariat with the help of Wildlife
Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.
[Read
on]
Concern grows over future of Thailand's
dugongs
Trang Province, Thailand, 18 March
2013 - According to the Institute for Research
and Development of Marine and Coastal Resources , 129 dugongs
lived in the Andaman Sea in 2010. However, as up to 15 dugong
deaths are reported each year, authorities on Koh Libong
in Trang province are worried that the endangered marine
mammals will eventually vanish from its waters.
[See
the full story on Bangkok Post website]
Endangered marine mammal slaughtered
on Phu Quoc Island
Vietnam, 7 September 2012
- The Ho Chi Minh City-based non-profit organization Wildlife
At Risk (WAR) has asked authorities on Phu Quoc Island to
tighten protections of an endangered dugong population after
the organization became aware of recent poaching incident.
WAR director Nguyen Vu Khoi said that a
100-kilogramme dugong had been caught on the beach earlier
that week, Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported on Friday.
The animal was slaughtered and sold to restaurants by the
poacher, before WAR officials could intervene.
[Read
on]
‘Lady of the Sea’ Under
Threat
James Cook University,
Australia, 4 September 2012 – No dugong calves
were seen in the southern Great Barrier Reef in a survey
last year, and numbers are the lowest since the mid-1980s,
indicating a dramatic decline in the endangered mammal’s
population in the region.
The results show a reduction in fertility
in response to the extreme weather conditions in 2011, which
exacerbated a decline in their seagrass feeding grounds
over several years.
James Cook University Distinguished Professor
Helene Marsh recently conducted a project to examine the
concern: Marine wildlife management in the Great Barrier
Reef World Heritage Area. Professor Marsh said severe weather
along the Queensland coast in the summer of 2010/11 had
affected the Great Barrier Reef’s endangered dugong
population.
[Read
on]
UAE is making intensive efforts to
protect dugongs from extinction
Abu Dhabi, 7 August 2012
- The United Arab Emirates is running a series of programs
to protect dugongs from extinction, which are implemented
by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Total United
Arab Emirates. According to a classification made by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature, the dugongs
are currently listed as one of the internationally endangered
animals.
This programme comes in the framework
of joint cooperation agreement between the Environment Agency
of Abu Dhabi and Total, which aims to continue the implementation
of the Authority to monitor the dugongs and study its biology,
habitat and geographical distribution in the territorial
waters of the UAE and is sponsored by Total since 1999.
Read
on
First live dugong sighting recorded near Okha
India, 4 June 2012 –
In an extremely rare incidence, a live dugong sighting has
been reported off the coast of Okha last Sunday. In fact,
this might be the first time in about 30 years that a live
dugong sighting has been recorded with a photograph.
[Read
on]
EAD Successfully Satellite Tags Four
Dugongs in Abu Dhabi Waters
Abu Dhabi, 30 May 2012 –
Scientists at the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) are
now actively tracking the movement and habitat use of 4
Dugongs (Dugong dugon) after successfully tagging them with
satellite transmitters off the UAE’s Marine Protected
Area of Al Yasat Island and Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve.
The tagging was part of an overall effort to better understand
dugong migration and movement patterns in Abu Dhabi waters.
These two sites were selected in particular for their close
proximity to the Qatar border, in order to better understand
dugong migration within the Arabian Gulf and to gain vital
information that will enhance regional cooperation on the
conservation of dugongs.
[Read
more on the EAD website]
USC Dornsife Scientific Diving: Palauan
Mermaids
USC Dornsife, 11 May
2012 – Sirens are mythical, mermaid-like
sea creatures that lure ships and seafarers into dangerous
waters with their beauty and songs. These legends are rooted
in Greek mythology – particularly in Homer’s
The Illiad. Interestingly, for more than 600 years after
Homer’s time, early explorers believed that the oceans
were home to mermaids and monsters.
[Read
on]
Saving Wildlife On A Headhunter's
Pacific Island (VIDEO)
Solomon Islands, 19
March 2012 – Tetepare is the largest uninhabited
island in the South Pacific. I'm here with Twomey, a local
dugong expert and we're having lunch on one of the most
beautiful beaches I've ever seen.
[Read
on]
Tackle poverty, then let’s talk
conservation
Sri Lanka, 18 March
2012 – A great lover of turtles and dugongs,
Dr. Nick Pilcher shares his own brand of pragmatic wildlife
management.
[Read
on]
Turtle and dugong footage causes controversy
Australia, 15 March
2012 – A TV report showing turtles and dugongs
hunted in the Torres Strait has been criticised as unbalanced
and emotive.
[Read
on]
Protect the dugong and you’re
protecting fish too
Abu Dhabi, 3 March
2012 – If dugongs become extinct, the impact
will not be limited merely to the fact that future generations
will not get to see the marine mammal — their absence
will almost surely have an impact on the availability of
sea fish, the staple diet of millions of people across the
world.
[Read
on]
Gentle Giants
Abu Dhabi, 3 March
2012 – It is said that Christopher Columbus,
upon seeing three manatees, expressed his disappointment
for the ugliness of “those sirens”. Indeed,
dugongs and their relatives, the manatees, have been taken
for mermaids since mythological times all the way from the
Arabian Gulf to the cold Irish seas.
[Read
on]
Dugong to be taken off the menu
Abu Dhabi, 29 February
2012 – Saving the dugong from extinction
has as much to do with tackling poverty as it does conservation
work, scientists say.
[Read
on]
Marine species key part of life in
the Pacific: Why we need to protect our biodiversity
10 February 2012
– SPREP has an active marine species programme focused
on three groups of marine animals: dugongs, marine turtles
and cetaceans (whales and dolphins).
[Read
on]
James Cook University to Launch Probe
into Dugong
Australia, 29 December
2011 – James Cook University researchers
have received $170,468 in government funding to find out
how much dugong meat is being illegally harvested in the
Torres Strait and the reasons behind it.
[Read
on]
Optimistic Future for Endangered Dugong
Australia, 26 December
2011 – Dugongs are not as critically endangered
along Australia's east coast as previously feared, according
to one of the world's pre-eminent dugong experts.
[Read
on]
EAD and TOTAL Partnering for Dugong
Conservation
Abu Dhabi, 17 November
2011 – Abu Dhabi, 17 November 2011 –
The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Total
United Arab Emirates (Total UAE) organized a ceremony marking
the extension of sponsorship for EAD’s Dugong Conservation
Programme, which has been exclusively sponsored by Total
since 1999. The event also simultaneously launched the book
“Abu Dhabi: Nature Preserved” published by National
Geographic. The event was held on 16 November 2011 at Al
Mamoura Auditorium, Abu Dhabi.
[Read
on]
Protecting nature’s nomads
13 November 2011 –
Migratory patterns of 10,000 species are being destroyed
by barriers, habitat degradation, pollution and climate
change.
[Read
on]
Killer Ghost Net Cleared from NT Coast
Northern Territory, Australia, 13
October 2011 – Crocodiles, sharks, turtles,
dugongs and fish are among the victims of deadly ghost nets
like this half-tonne killer found snagged on a reef at the
Cobourg Peninsula.
[Read
on]
Protecting Palau’s Dugongs
Palau, August 2011 –
Grassroots efforts are being made to protect one of the
most threatened and isolated dugong populations in the world.
CNN’s Anna Coren reports.
[See
the video]
Rainbow Beach school rocks out for
dugongs
Australia, 24 August 2011
– The students of Rainbow Beach State School have
won $500 for their dugong-friendly dancing feet.
[See
the clip on ABC]
Floods cause spate of dugong deaths
Australia, 8 August 2011
– More dugongs have died this year than in all of
2010 because of Queensland's summer of disasters, it has
emerged. Ninety-six of the sea mammals washed up dead on
the state's coastline in the first seven months of 2011,
compared to 79 for the whole of 2010. Environment Minister
Vicky Darling said scientists believe most of the dugongs
died of starvation after Queensland's floods devastated
their main food source, seagrass.
[Read
on]
Efforts Stepped up to Protect Dugong
and Green Turtles
Australia, 28 July 2011
– The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)
is stepping up its efforts to promote smart boating and
fishing practices to protect dugong and green turtles, as
record numbers of deaths are predicted for these species.
GBRMPA Chairman Dr Russell Reichelt said the cumulative
effect of several years of extreme weather is taking its
toll on the animals' main food source, seagrass. Cyclones
and flooding has increased sediments, pesticides and herbicides
entering the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, which degrade
seagrass habitats.
[Read
on]
Sarawak Plan to Gazette Kuala Lawas
As National Park
Lawas, 28 July 2011 –
Sarawak plans to gazette a new area made up mainly of water
bodies in Kuala Lawas near there as another national park
in a move to protect and conserve marine life, State Second
Minister of Resource Planning and Management, Datuk Amar
Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said. He said the proposed national
park that features fringe mangrove along the coastline has
become a favourite feeding ground for dugongs and green
turtles and would play an important role in marine eco-system.
[Read
on]
Seagrass Meadows Remain 'Forgotten'
in Conservation Debate
13 June 2011 –
Every hour, an area of seagrass the size of two football
pitches is lost. The rate of loss is equal to that occurring
in tropical rainforests and on coral reefs yet it receives
a fraction of the attention.
[Read on - The
Ecologist - Seagrass
Watch]
Dugong Health Hit by Floods
Australia, 11 June 2011 –
Hervey Bay’s dugongs have fared worse than their Moreton
Bay counterparts after the summer floods, a Sea World and
University of Queensland survey has found.
[Read
on]
Sign MoU to Protect Dugongs, India
Urges Neighbours
Chennai, 11 June 2011 –
With fewer than 200 dugongs (commonly known as sea cow)
in its waters, India is strongly encouraging its neighbours
in South Asia to sign the Dugong United Nations Environment
Programme/Convention of Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS) MoU
as early as possible.
[Read
on]
India to Host Workshop on Conservation
and Management of Dugongs
Tuticorin, 6 June 2011 –
India is hosting the first South Asia Sub-Regional Workshop
on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs on 6th and
7th June 2011, in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. Policy and conservation
management experts from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
will come together to discuss the status of dugong conservation
in their respective countries; establish standardized methods
to survey dugongs and their habitats; and work towards preparing
a coordinated Dugong Conservation and Management Plan in
South Asia under the United Nations Environment Programme
and the Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS).
[Read
on]
Dugongs Doing Well after Brisbane
Floods
Australia, 1 June 2011 - – Brisbane’s
summer of floods appears to have left Moreton Bay’s
dugong population largely unscathed. Fears had been held
for them after tones of silt and other rubbish washed down
the Brisbane River and into the bay during January’s
floods, threatening the sea grass the dugong relies on to
survive.
[Read
on]
Seagrasses Face Extinction Threat
23 May 2011 - Seagrasses around the world
are disappearing, with some species now threatened with
extinction. The first global survey of individual seagrass
species has found that 14% are at risk of going extinct.
More common species are also in decline, meaning both seagrass
habitat and diversity is being lost. Seagrasses provide
food and habitat for a variety of ocean species including
manatees, sea turtles and fish such as sea horses.
[Read
on]
Mysterious Death of a Young Dugong
Dubai, 4 May 2011 - The death of a young
dugong found floating off the waters of the Palm Jebel Ali
this week remains a mystery for scientists. The male marine
mammal was discovered by staff of the Dubai-based Emirates
Marine Environmental Group (Emeg), as they were carrying
out routine monitoring on Monday.
[Read
on]
Fossil Sea Cow Teeth Reveal Steamy
Ancient Earth
21 April 2011 - Fossilized sea cow teeth
suggest Earth was surprisingly wet and warm about 50 million
years ago, a new study says. Sea cows, or sirenians, make
up the group of marine mammals that includes slow-moving
manatees and dugongs.
[Read
on]
Inspectors Save 11 Hawksbill Turtles
Covered in Sea Debris
Dubai, 1 April 2011 - Young Hawksbill
turtles, covered in different types of sea waste, were found
on the shores of Dubai recently. Inspectors of the Marine
Environment and Wildlife Section of Dubai Municipality rescued
11 young Hawksbill Sea Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata)
of length 3-5 inches and weighing 50-150 grams. They were
found during the inspectors' daily patrols of coastal areas.
Most of their [turtles] body parts were covered in different
types of sea waste which hindered their movement and also
resulting in malnutrition.
[Read
on]
2011 Declared Pacific Year of the
Dugong
14 March 2011 - The dugong, also known
as the sea cow, is a stranger to many Pacific islands nations
and territories. However, we all agree that this peaceful
animal is no less deserving of a special year to recognise
its importance to marine biodiversity of the Pacific.
[Read
on]
Scientists gain fresh insight to travel
diaries of dugongs
Australia, 23 February 2011 - Dugongs
have been tracked for the first time swimming across the
shark-infested stretch of ocean between Torres Strait and
Papua New Guinea.
[Read
on]
Yasi strips rare forests, reef
Australia, 8 February 2011 - World
Heritage rainforest and surviving populations of endangered
southern cassowaries and dugong were hit hard by Cyclone
Yasi, scientists warn.
[Read
on]
Yasi does 10 years' damage to Barrier
Reef
Australia, 5 February 2011 - Authorities
say hundreds of kilometres of the Great Barrier Reef hit
by Cyclone Yasi will take up to 10 years to recover.
[Read
on]
Flood Run-off Will Kill Dugongs: Experts
Australia, 20 January 2011 - Environmental
experts warn dugongs will be Queensland's next flood victims
as plumes of contaminated sediment pour into the ocean.
Environmental experts warn dugongs will be Queensland's
next flood victims as plumes of contaminated sediment pour
into the ocean.
[Read
on]
Moreton Bay Probably Damaged by Floodwaters
Australia, 17 January 2011 - The
Healthy Waterways group says the flood will have a major
impact on Brisbane's Moreton Bay.
[Read
on]
Murky Waters Danger to Dugong Herds
Australia, 17 January 2011 - Scientists
fear muddy floodwaters will cripple Moreton Bay’s
dugong and sea turtle herds.
[Read
on]
Floods Threaten Great Barrier Reef
- La Niña to Blame
Australia, 12 January 2011 - Floods
have devastated the landscape of the state of Queensland,
Australia, but they also present a high risk to the Great
Barrier Reef. Stretching over 2,300 kilometers (1,430 miles)
along the northeast coast of Australia, large parts of the
southern Great Barrier Reef are “flooded” with
fresh water.
[Read
on]
Great Barrier Reef Threatened
Australia, 7January 2011 - floodwater
that have polluted dozens of Queensland cities and towns
could cause problems for the Great Barrier Reef. Pesticides,
fertilizers, top soil and sediment are being washed through
the river systems out to sea, influencing the reef’s
salinity and water quality.
[Read
on]
Floods Threaten Great Barrier Reef
Australia, 5 January 2011 - Australia's
disastrous floods have spread to 40 towns and are threatening
the world-famous Great Barrier Reef as tonnes of sludge
pour into the sea, officials and scientists said.
[Read
on]
Killed Dugongs to be Displayed at
Museum
Sri Lanka, 31 December 2010 - Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratna yesterday
said he is determined to put an absolute end to dynamite
fishing in the seas off Mannar which killed two rare dugongs,
while the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development
Agency (NARA) is preparing them for public display at a
national museum.
[Read
on]
EAD Asks People to Take Some ‘Green’
Resolutions
Abu Dhabi, 31 December 2010 - The
Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) requested UAE
residents to make a different New Year Resolution this year,
a green one.
[Read
on]
Marine Experts Gather at Capital
Abu Dhabi, 15 December 2010 - Discussing
ways to keep the global shared marine environment ‘healthy’
was at the top of the agenda at the Marine Conservation
Forum 2010 held Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.
[Read
on]
Sharks, Wolves and the
’Ecology of Fear’
Oregon, USA, 10 November 2010 –
There may be many similarities between the importance
of large predators in marine and terrestrial environments,
researchers concluded in a recent study, which examined
the interactions between wolves and
elk in the United States, as well as sharks and
dugongs in Australia.
[Read
on]
Marine mammal rescue course for better
awareness
Dubai, 23 October
2010 - Busy shipping areas pose a serious threat
to marine mammals such as dugongs, whales or dolphins. Knowing
what to do if one ever washed up on shore after a collision
could therefore be vital to saving what are fast-becoming
endangered animals. [Read
on]
Palau announces new marine mammal
sanctuary an international biodiversity meeting in Japan
Nagoya, 22 October
2010 -The Honorable Harry Fritz, Minister of the
Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism of the Republic
of Palau, announced the establishment of a sanctuary for
marine mammals in the waters of Palau. The Sanctuary, which
covers all of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone (more than
600,000 square kilometers), was announced today during Ocean's
Day, at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan.
The Sanctuary covers all whales, dolphins, and dugongs.
[Read
on]
Task force to suggest measures for
Dugong conservation
New Delhi, 15 October
2010 - Country's endangered 'mermaids', zoologically
called Sirenoid or Dugong dugong, are finally getting attention
with the Environment ministry setting up a task force to
chalk out steps for their conservation. [Read
on]
Climate change affects turtles
Australia, 8 October
2010 -The “turtle and dugong capital of the
world”, the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and
Torres Strait region, faces increased pressure under climate
change from human actions such as fishing, hunting, onshore
development and pollution. [Read
on]
Dugong heaven: at last a sanctuary
to live, play and breed
Australia, 7 October 2010
-The world's largest population of dugongs may soon be able
to live a little bit longer as a new survey could see a
2744km sanctuary extended. [Read
on]
Tonga and Tuvalu Collaborate to Protect
Whales and Dolphins
29 September 2010
- Tonga and Tuvalu are the newest signatories to
the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to protect cetaceans
in the Pacific islands region. [Read
on]
Drones watch over WA marine life
Australia, 27 September
2010 -Unmanned aircraft are flying around Shark
Bay in Western Australia's mid-north coast in a trial to
see whether military-style drones can help monitor and conserve
marine mammals.
[Read on]
Dolphin-stranding in RP ‘unusually
high’
San Fernando, 27 September
2010 -More than 500 dolphins, whales and dugong
(sea cows) were stranded on Philippine shores or swam in
shallow waters in the last 11 years, producing several hotspots
around the archipelago, according to the country’s
first database on marine mammal-stranding from 1998 and
2009. [Read
on]
Washing your car can kill wildlife
Australia, 7 September
2010 -Water runoff from home car washing is causing
major environmental damage to Moreton Bay's water quality
and wildlife. "Contaminated waste from stormwater is
a massive threat to marine environments and at the current
rate the local dugong population could be severely compromised
or potentially locally extinct by 2026,” says Simon
Baltais, President of Wildlife Queensland. [Read
on]
Guimaras sea hides dolphins, dugongs
Jordan, 19 August
2010 - The Guimaras Sea is home to rare sea turtles
and a haven for rare Irrawaddy dolphins and dugongss. [Read
on]
More rangers needed to stop dugong
deaths
Australia, 22 June
2010 - Authorities say it is unclear who killed
the mammals, but it appears those responsible tried to conceal
the deaths. [Read
on
ABC
news article]
Dead dugongs found trapped in illegal
nets
Australia, 21 July
2010 - Authorities in northern Queensland are asking
for the public's help to catch those responsible for the
deaths of dugongs found caught in a commercial fishing net.
[Read
on ABC news article]
First ultrasound images of pregnant
wild dugongs
Australia 18 June
2010 - Scientists in south-east Queensland have
taken the first ultrasound images of a pregnant dugong in
the wild. [Read
on
ABC news article]
Team Effort to Investigate
Moreton Bay’s Dugongs
Australia, 16 June 2010 – Biologists
from the University of Queensland (UQ) will team up with
Sea World, Sydney Aquarium and Taronga Western Plains Zoo
to assess the health and reproductive status of wild dugongs
in Moreton Bay this week. [Read
on]
Environment: the Pacific
Ocean, Our Lifeblood
13 June 2010 – 2010 is the Year of
Biodiversity – in the Pacific this is celebrated under
the theme of “Value Island Biodiversity – it’s
our Life”. [Read
on]
Expansion Threatens
Sea Habitat
Australia, 28 May 2010 – Today’s
decision to approve the $82.5 million port expansion at
Fisherman’s Landing in Gladstone is disastrous for
the area’s threatened dugongs and rare inshore dolphins.
[Read on]
Safeguarding Marine
Life
Bahrain, 12 May 2010 – A marine wildlife
rescue centre could be set up in Bahrain, to deal with the
aftermath of oil spills or other calamities anywhere in
the region. It would also be used to train rescue teams
and would act as an information and education centre for
schools and visitors. [Read
on]
Dugong in Decline
off Phuket
Phuket, 4 May 2010 – The fishing
industry continues to take its toll on Thailand’s
highly endangered dugong population, with at least three
deaths so far this year. [Read
on]
Call to Protect Dugongs
Australia, 29 April 2010 – Complaints
about illegal fishing nets are falling on deaf ears, with
Cairns Regional Council demanding the State Government do
more to protect dugongs and turtles. [Read on]
Endangered Turtles
begin nesting on Bu Tinah Island Tinah
Abu Dhabi, 24 April 2010 – A group
of critically endangered sea turtles have begun nesting
on Bu Tinah Island, according to researchers from the Environment
Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) who are surveying the island’s
unique biodiversity.
[Read on]
Rare turtles home
on Bu Tinah
Abu Dhabi, 18 April 2010 – At least
five new nesting sites for endangered hawksbill turtles
were recorded by researchers with the Environment Agency
- Abu Dhabi (EAD) last week on the white banks of Bu Tinah
Island, 130km west of the capital.
[Read on]
Marine mammal bones
from 3,500 BC
Umm Al Qaiwain, 10 April 2010 – Bones
of dugongs, large marine mammals of the sea cow family,
dating back to 3,500 BC, have been found on an island off
the coast of Umm Al Qaiwain in the United Arab Emirates.
[Read on]
They Weigh 300kg and
It’s All Down to Eating Their Greens
Australia, 2 April 2010 – If you
think your children are fussy eaters, you haven’t
met Pig and Waru. Sydney Aquarium’s dugongs are so
picky they eat only cos lettuce leaves, except on the rare
occasion they can be persuaded to try a bunch of spinach.
[Read on]
Dredging Threatens
Dugongs
Australia, 1 April 2010 – Up to 55
million cubic metres of dredge spoil will be dumped on seagrass
beds in Gladstone harbor to allow the development of the
LNG export industry, despite the risks to the region’s
dugong population.
[Read on]
13 Threatened Animals
of the Ocean
30 March 2010 – There are currently
620 species of marine animals designated as threatened on
the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red
List. These animals are in danger of becoming extinct, and
are an important reminder as to why we humans need to clean
up our act and work to protect our oceans from pollution
and overfishing.
[Read on]
Aerial Monitoring
of Seagrass
Australia, 28 March 2010 – Fisheries
scientists, the TSRA and Indigenous rangers have teamed
up to deliver a new initiative to map and assess seagrass
habitat vital to local fisheries.
[Read on]
Tribes Sign Marine
Conservation Pacti
Australia, 27 March 2010 – Nine indigenous
groups will team up with conservationists to protect turtles,
dugongs and dolphins in the Great Barrier Reef.
[Read
on]
Strategic Dugong Survey
Design Workshop successful in Singapore
 Singapore,
3–4 March 2010 - Under the auspices of the
UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU, a workshop was convened in Singapore
to develop a standardized questionnaire survey format which
will be used in Dugong MoU-funded regional assessment projects.
Developed by a group of experts from around the world, the
survey aims to determine dugong population status, distribution,
and threats – particularly bycatch. The survey has
potential to enhance national, regional and international
information sharing and cooperation, a key action required
under the Conservation
and Management Plan.
UNEP/CMS Abu Dhabi Office,
which hosts the Secretariat for the Dugong MoU, also strives
to fulfil its responsibility to address the conservation
of other regionally important migratory species, including
cetaceans and marine turtles. The developed questionnaire
survey is adaptable for multiple species, can be used across
regions, is flexible and low-cost, and has scientific rigor.
The survey is already being trialled in a number of countries.
The complete article will be available on
Sirenews
in April 2010
6-month Internship in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, 15 March 2010 – The CMS
Project Office in Abu Dhabi is seeking an intern for four
to six months duration, to assist with the organization
of the First Official Signatory State Meeting of the Memorandum
of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Dugongs
and their Habitats in their Range. The deadline for applications
is 31st March 2010. [Description][Application]
EAD Launches International Vote Bu
Tinah! Campaign
Abu Dhabi, 4 March 2010 – Off the
western coastline of Abu Dhabi lies a unique wonder of nature,
wild and undisturbed by human activity, known as Bu Tinah
Island. Vote for Bu Tinah Island to be one of the New 7
Wonders of Nature at www.butinah.ae.
[Read on]
Will growing seagrass beds bring back
rare sea cows to Chilika?
India, 1 March 2010 – Wild life experts
are hoping the highly endangered dugong or sea cow could
again come visiting Orissa’s Chilika Lake, thanks
to the expanding beds of sea grass growing in the shallow
waters – a critical requirement for the big marine
animal. [Read
on]
Lights, Camera, Action for Bu Tinah
Abu Dhabi, 25 February 2010 – The
campaign to help Bu Tinah Island win election as one of
the new seven wonders of the natural world is getting some
slick help from Abu Dhabi’s environmental agency.
[Read
on]
Authorities offer net fishing assurances
Queensland, 16 February 2010 – Tourism
operators have welcomed assurances from federal and state
management authorities that commercial netting will not resume
in the Hinchinbrook Channel in Queensland’s far north.
[Read
on]
Poachers Raiding Rich Barrier Reef
Zones
Australia, 24 February 2010 – Poachers
are raiding “no-take zones” on the Great Barrier
Reef as fish stocks more than double in protected areas, the
latest research shows. . [Read
on]
Seagrass friendly moorings trialled
in Queensland
Queensland, 11 February 2010
– New boat moorings that do not damage seagrass are
being trialled in Queensland. [Read
on]
Dugongs hide from the developers
Abu Dhabi, 6 February 2010
– They are the gentlest of creatures, a key feature
of the capital’s sealife, but environmental experts
fear that the dugong is being pushed into a corner by coastal
development. [Read
on]
Dugongs are faring better than
feared
Trang, 25 January 2010 –
The population of rare dugongs (sea cows) living in Trang
waters has slightly dropped by 5-10 sea animals from last
year, the latest aerial survey has found. [Read
on]
UNEP/CMS Office and EAD Meet to
Talk about Dugongs
Abu Dhabi, 23 December 2009 –
UNEP/CMS Abu Dhabi Office and the Environment Agency - Abu
Dhabi (EAD) met for the first time on 23rd December, 2009.
Being located in the same building as EAD, the Secretariat
will be working closely with the agency to tackle major
threats and identify effective tools to secure a favourable
status for regionally important migratory species.
EAD and UNEP Sign Agreement to Establish
a UNEP/CMS Office in Abu Dhabi
 Abu
Dhabi , 12 October 2009 - The Environment Agency-Abu
Dhabi (EAD) and the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) have signed a Donor Agreement to establish a UNEP/Convention
on Migratory Species (CMS) office in Abu Dhabi.
H.E. Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary
General of EAD and Ms Elizabeth Mrema, CMS Officer-in-Charge
in UNEP, signed the agreement in a ceremony on 12 October
2009 at EAD's headquarters.
[Read
on]
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