Community Perspectives and Conservation Needs for Dugongs (Dugong dugon) Along the Andaman Coast of Thailand

The dugong is classified as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union on the basis of declines in area or extent of occupancy, habitat quality, and actual or potential levels of exploitation. In Thailand, the largest groups of dugongs are found near islands off the Andaman coast. The authors conducted a 2-year project that included dugong population and habitat assessment as well as interviews with local fishers. The results indicate declining populations of dugongs. The largest threat to dugongs is incidental catch in fishing nets. The numbers of deaths reported place the dugong population along the Andaman Sea in danger of extirpation. Other threats include seagrass destruction both from fishing and coastal development and the use of dugong parts for medicinal purposes. Villagers still show strong ties with dugongs, and the majority favor establishing more large protected areas for the species. These should arise from an integrated national dugong and seagrass conservation strategy formulated by concerned stakeholders from government, nongovernmental organizations, scientists, and local communities. The strategy needs to be both top down and bottom up in its formation to balance existing and potential uses as well as conflicts between artisanal and commercial fishers. The strategy should include the development of educational materials and enforceable regulations, as well as the designation of community-protected seagrass beds and a system of dugong sanctuaries along the Andaman coast. An integrated management plan is needed urgently, with the continued input of concerned scientists, to monitor and increase knowledge of dugong behavior and distribution.     

Observations of dugong reproductive behavior in Trang Province,Thailand: further evidence of intraspecific variation in dugong behavior

The seagrass beds at Muk Island and Talibong Island in Thailand are important areas for dugong (Dugong dugon) feeding and reproduction. We used opportunistic observations during aerial surveys to investigate dugong mating behavior in shallow water areas near Talibong Island on three different days. The mating pattern was categorized by five stages: (1) following: the male followed the female, (2) approaching and stimulating: the male approached and muzzled the female, (3) pairing: both male and female swam in parallel, ventral to ventral or dorsal to dorsal side, (4) mounting: the male copulated with the female, and (5) separating: the male and female swam in different directions. Parental care of calves included one observation of a cow embracing her neonatal calf by the flippers.