Dugong Conservation a Critical Issue in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The dugong (Dugong dugon) was traditionally hunted and considered a delicacy in Sri Lanka. Dugongs were common in the Gulf of Mannar (north-west coast) and were the focus of a targeted fishery till the mid-20th century. Overexploitation caused this population to decline rapidly and recognising this, the Sri Lankan Government declared the dugong a protected species in 1970. Legal protection was however not followed by effective law enforcement and recent surveys indicate that illegal harvesting still continues. Due to an unstable security situation the remaining dugong habitat was inaccessible to researchers till 2009 and no censuses were carried out, while illegal capture went largely undetected and unreported. While the area is now accessible population assessments and threat mitigation in the form of proactive conservation measures are a matter of urgent priority. While research is essential to develop informed conservation measures such activities need to be implemented in a manner that is sensitive to local socioeconomic circumstances. Protection of endangered species is not yet considered a priority among impoverished coastal communities. Therefore these issues need urgent and innovative attention to provide this dugong population with a chance of survival and prevent imminent local extirpation.