‘On the precipice of extinction’

Declining seagrass meadows are a threat to not only dugongs but also other marine life like the seahorse which hide in it from predators.

THERE are several databases set up by researchers for dugong sightings and estimates of their population in different parts of the country, but particularly in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences (IOES), Universiti Malaya research officer Affendi Yang Amri said the movement patterns of the mammal were sketchy.

“No one has managed to tag and track any dugong in the southern parts of Johor,’’ he said.

The IOES team led by him tried to capture and place satellite tags on dugongs in 2005, but they were unsuccessful.

He said this was due to the dugong’s shy nature and wariness of boats.

It is also because of the lack of shallow water areas in which they can “trap” the creatures.

“The population of dugong in south Johor is currently unknown, but there have been reports of dugongs sighted and of their feeding trails in seagrass meadows,” said Affendi.

He said there had been reports of increasing numbers of dugong strandings in recent years, as well as declining seagrass habitats and increasing water pollution, which all point to a high probability of a decline in the dugong population.

He explained that any land reclamation activities that damaged the seagrass meadows would constitute a major factor in the animal’s decline as seagrass was the dugong’s main food source.

“If there are no significant seagrass meadows in an area, no dugong can survive nor will they want to migrate to the area.”

He said the migration pattern of dugongs in Gelang Patah, Kukup and Pontian was unknown.

According to researchers, dugongs have been sighted in Singapore waters and in waters off the nearby Indonesian islands of Batam and Bintan, where there are good seagrass meadows.

“I personally believe the dugongs in south Johor are on the precipice of extinction, if no measures are taken to protect the mammal,” said Affendi.

He said it was crucial to compile data on the dugong in Johor, especially in south Johor, because of the high human impact in the area.

The state government could offer more long-term research grants to monitor and study the dugong and their seagrass habitats, he suggested.

Other avenues, he added, included meetings with the locals, especially fishermen, to have their input on seagrass and dugongs in the area, as well as annual meetings where all interested parties could share their experiences and knowledge.