Dugong in Bazaruto Islands National Park, Mozambique. (Andrea Marshall)
Mozambique has launched a major survey using rare satellite tagging technology in Bazaruto Islands National Park to track the movements of dugongs and protect their habitat.
This comes as the country aims to save the last viable mammal populations in the western Indian Ocean.
Dugongs are one of four extant species in the order Sirenia, which includes the three species of manatees, and are the only surviving representatives of the once diverse family Dugongidae.
Its closest living relative, the great sea cow, lived in the North Pacific and was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
Led by African Parks and Mozambique's National Authority for Protected Areas (ANAC), with technical support from Australia's James Cook University, this Mozambican initiative is an initiative to protect rare and vulnerable wildlife in Africa. highlights the growing trend of public-private collaboration in conservation efforts.
In May, the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) conducted a drone survey across the lagoon around Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The survey captured images of dugongs, including juveniles, the last known dugong population in the Seychelles.
When Kenya carried out a marine survey of its coastal area last year, initial discoveries found only two dugongs.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), large herds of more than 100 dugongs were common in Kenyan waters in the 1960s.
Similar studies are being conducted in Tanzania, Egypt and Madagascar, primarily led by international conservation organizations.
Armando Guenha, Manager of Bazaruto Islands National Park and ANAC Representative, said: “The cooperation between African Parks and ANAC is helping to protect Mozambique's outstanding marine biodiversity within Bazaruto Islands National Park.” said.
“We must continue to work with local communities, conservation experts, scientists and the private sector to maintain healthy marine ecosystems and deliver socio-economic benefits to local populations,” he said in a recent media statement. said.
Dugongs, also known as sea cows, live in the tropical coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean, where they graze on seagrass meadows. Their activities are essential to maintaining healthy marine ecosystems.
However, in 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the East African dugong an endangered species, with only about 250 remaining in the region.
Bazaruto National Park's annual survey shows that the dugong population, including many cow-calf pairs, is stable, but gillnets remain a significant threat, trapping the mammals. Frame it and kill it.
Additionally, seagrass cover, which is essential for dugong survival, has declined by 20% across the Indo-Pacific over the past century, according to the IUCN.
In the tracking project, seven male and five female dugongs were fitted with special tracking tags. This technology provides detailed information about their range, movement patterns, and important feeding areas.
Interest in dugong conservation is growing outside Mozambique, and regional efforts have begun to protect the animals.
“This tagging project is the next important step in dugong conservation and the development of conservation techniques for local researchers,” said Evan Trotsk, Bazaruto's African Parks Research and Monitoring Coordinator. .
“Understanding dugong movements and habitat use is essential for long-term conservation of the dugong species and its marine environment, and sustaining local community livelihoods through healthy fisheries and continued tourism. is essential.”
Most ongoing conservation efforts are limited to tracking and population assessments, but experts believe this is a step in the right direction.
Author conversationAssociate Professor Stephanie Plon from the Department of Pathology at Stellenbosch University and Professor Shane Lavery from the University of Auckland said: “Tracking and understanding the history of dugongs will help scientists make informed decisions about future marine conservation. I can make the right decisions.” .
“Species conservation requires solid scientific data. Much information exists about some of the remaining dugong populations and their decline in specific areas of the species' range. '' they said, reporting on their research into how dugong populations genetically differ from each other.
— Torimogatari Agency
