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Indian Ocean

WIOMSA Dugong Project Going Strong

WIOMSA Dugong Project meeting participants. Photo © Dugong MOU Secretariat.

L-R: Dr Almeida Guissamulo, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique; Ms Asma Hadi Awadh, Pwani University, Kenya; Dr Vic Cockcroft, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa; Ms Lindsey West, Sea Sense, Tanzania; Mr Said Shaib, Zanzibar School of Marine Sciences, Tanzania; and Dr Ken Finlay, MRI (Mammal Research Unit) Whale Unit, South Africa. Photo © Dugong MOU Secretariat.

The Head of the Dugong MOU Secretariat, Dr. Donna Kwan, participated in a meeting to discuss the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Project entitled ‘Dugongs (Dugong dugon) of the Western Indian Ocean Region: Identity, Distribution, Status, Threats and Management’ in Cape Pettenburg, South Africa.

15 February 2016

Study: Conservation Priorities for Shark and Ray Species included and proposed for inclusion in Annex 1 to the CMS Sharks MOU

The Sharks MOU has defined general objectives for the conservation and management of species and populations listed in Annex 1 of the MOU, which are further detailed in a global Conservation Plan for migratory Sharks (Annex 3 to the MOU).
18 October 2015

Illegal Take and Trade of Marine Turtles in the IOSEA Region

Illegal take of marine turtles can assume various forms, from poaching of animals and eggs on nesting beaches to illegal take of animals at sea.   Typically, green and leatherback turtles are hunted for their meat; the hawksbill turtle is hunted for its carapace as the raw material for craftwork; while the eggs of loggerhead and olive ridley turtles are considered a delicacy.  Turtle meat consumption reportedly occurs in 75% of IOSEA Signatory States, while trade in shell products seems to be predominant in East Asian countries.  Whereas numerous investigations in this regard have been unde

18 January 2018

Ecological Risk Assessment and Productivity - Susceptibility Analysis of sea turtles overlapping with fisheries in the IOTC region

Interactions between sea turtles and fishing activities have been listed as a significant threat to sea turtles. This study aimed to assess which sea turtle species/populations in the Indian Ocean (IO) are at risk from interactions with tuna-related fisheries. The approach used was a desktop study to compile (1) all available data on sea turtle population demographics, rookery sizes and at-sea distributions; and (2) collate all information of longline, purse seine and gillnet effort and sea turtle interactions in the Indian Ocean.

30 April 2015

North-west Indian Ocean Experts meet to Identify Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas

Graphic: Courtesy of CSIRO and Dr ALan Rees

Graphic: Courtesy of CSIRO and Dr ALan Rees

At the invitation of the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marine experts from 15 Northwest Indian Ocean countries participated in a regional workshop to describe marine areas meeting criteria developed under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for ecologically or biologically sensitive marine areas (EBSAs).

28 April 2015

Dugong Project: PhD Opportunities

A dugong foraging seagrass. Photo courtesy of Fergus Kennedy.

Photo courtesy of Fergus Kennedy.

A consortium of institutions is beginning a multi-year study of the occurrence, numbers and identity of dugongs in the Western Indian Ocean (Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and Seychelles). There is an opportunity for students at the PhD level, though MSc students will also be considered. See the full announcement in the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association Blog.

15 April 2014

How Abu Dhabi is Saving the Dugong

Dugong. Photo courtesy of Mandy Etpison.

Photo courtesy of Mandy Etpison.

Abu Dhabi is leading efforts to protect the elusive marine mammal associated with mermaid legends. GN Focus explains what its decline means for the region's marine economy.

27 March 2014

CMS Dugong MOU Standardised Catch and Bycatch Questionnaire

The Dugong MOU Secretariat provided funding to enable a partnership with the Marine Research Foundation and a team of global experts to develop and implement a Questionnaire which could be implemented at low cost across large geographical areas, and that generates standardised data sets. The Questionnaire was designed to collect data on dugongs, as well as marine turtles and cetaceans, and has resulted in a large data set of dugong numbers and distribution across a significant portion of the dugong’s geographic range.

10 March 2021

Dugong, Seagrass and Coastal Communities Initiative

The Dugong, Seagrass and Coastal Communities Initiative encompasses complementary activities to support the conservation of dugongs and their seagrass habitats throughout the over 40 Range States.

14 March 2014

The Sixth International Sirenian Symposium

The aim of this full-day symposium/workshop, in collaboration with the IUCN Sirenian Specialists Group, is to foster communication between researchers, managers, and policy makers.

07 December 2013