| The
Dugong (Dugong dugon), commonly known as
the sea cow, is a sea grass-dependant marine mammal
of tropical and subtropical coastal waters, with high
genetic biodiversity value. It is the sole member
of the genus dugong, which is the only extant member
of the Family Dugongidae .
Amongst the marine mammals, the dugong is unique in
being the only species that is completely herbivorous.
Throughout their range which includes at least 48
countries from east Africa to Vanuatu between about
26 degrees north and south of the Equator, dugongs
are under pressure from a range of human activities.
Dugongs are vulnerable to human-related influences
due to their life history and their dependence on
sea grasses that are restricted to coastal habitats,
and which are often under increased pressure from
human activities .
Development of the Memorandum of Understanding
Currently dugongs are classified
as vulnerable to extinction under the 2009 World Conservation
Union (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, which
indicates that they face a high-risk of extinction
in the wild in the medium-term future. CMS lists the
dugong (Dugong dugon) in its Appendix II,
meaning that the conservation of the species would
benefit from international cooperative activities
organized across the Dugong's migratory range.
Two meetings of the CMS Conference
of the Parties provided the impetus to develop an
appropriate legal instrument, including a conservation
and management plan, to conserve the dugong under
CMS auspices. The initiative to develop such an instrument
was led by the Governments of Australia and Thailand,
in close coordination with the CMS Secretariat.
Two intergovernmental meetings were held in Bangkok,
Thailand, under the auspices of CMS, in August 2005
and May 2006. (Please follow the link "Meetings"
above to download the meeting
reports). The Second Meeting on Dugong Conservation
and Management (Bangkok, May 2006) strongly endorsed
the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and associated
Conservation
and Management Plan (CMP). The third
meeting was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
on 28-31 October 2007; it saw the conclusion of the
negotiations and an agreement on the final text of
the MOU.
The agreement - Memorandum of Understanding on the
Conservation and Management of Dugongs and their Habitats
throughout their Range (UNEP/CMS
Dugong MoU) entered into force on 31
October 2007 after being signed by 7 range states
(Australia, Eritrea, France, Madagascar, Myanmar,
United Arab Emirates and United Republic of Tanzania)
and they have been joined by 4 additional signatories
(India, Comoros, Kenya and the Philippines) to raise
the number of signatories to 11 range states to date.
The Dugong MoU
The MoU is designed to facilitate
national level and transboundary actions that will
lead to the conservation of dugong populations and
their habitats. The CMP provides the basis for focused
species and habitat-specific activities, coordinated
across the Dugong’s migratory range. The CMP
has nine objectives:
* Reduce direct and indirect causes of dugong
mortality
* Improve our understanding of dugong through research
and monitoring
* Protect, conserve and manage habitats for dugong
* Improve our understanding of dugong habitats through
research and monitoring
* Raise awareness of dugong conservation
* Enhance national, regional and international cooperation
* Promote implementation of the MoU
* Improve legal protection of dugongs and their
habitats
* Enhance national, regional and international cooperation
on capacity building
Together, the MoU and CMP is intended
to be the primary platform for conservation actions
on behalf of the species in all of the waters of coastal
and archipelagic States of the Indian Ocean, East
Asia, and the western Pacific Ocean, as well as their
adjacent seas.
UNEP/CMS Abu Dhabi Office
The Dugong MoU is serviced by the
UNEP/CMS Abu Dhabi Office being hosted by the Government
and the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD). The
new Office represents a major collaboration between
UNEP and the United Arab Emirates to conserve migratory
species for the benefit of present and future generations.
The UNEP/CMS Project Office provides a framework with
a coordinating role to tackle major threats and identify
effective tools to reverse declining trends and to
secure a favorable status for regionally important
migratory species including dugongs, birds of prey
and marine turtles, under the auspices of UNEP/CMS.
UNEP would like to thank the United
Arab Emirates, the Government of Abu Dhabi and the
Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) for their
commitment and substantial contribution to conserving
biological diversity and especially migratory species
at an international level.
Disclaimer
Any opinions, findings,
conclusions or recommendations expressed on this web-site
do not necessarily reflect the official policy of
UNEP, CMS, Dugong MoU, or any of the sponsoring agencies.
Moreover, the designation of geographical entities
does not imply the expression of any opinion on the
part of these organisations concerning the legal status
of any country, territory or area, or of its authorities,
or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or
boundaries. The appearance of external links on this
site does not constitute endorsement of those external
web sites or the information, products or services
they contain.
.
|