dugongs in palau - C3

dugong in Palau (pers. obs), but the majority of fishermen interviewed in 2003 were either indifferent
towards dugongs or no longer considered these animals valuable to Palauan culture (Matthews, 2003).
Jewelry
In 1991, locally-made jewellery carved from dugong ribs was found at four stores in Koror. By 1996, all
forms of jewelry made from dugong bones had been confiscated from stores in Koror and to date, there
have been no further reports of such sales. (K. Chin, pers. comm., 2003). With the introduction of new
legislation for the protection of dugongs in 2002, owners of dugong bracelets are required to register their
pieces with the Bureau of Marine Resources and any unregistered items will be confiscated after a certain
date. Registration was due to begin in late 2003, however, by mid-2004 this had not been completed.
Changes in behavior
From additional interviews with eight fishermen conducted by Community Centered Conservation (C3)
in 2002 and 2003, it appears that dugongs are now hunted opportunistically rather than deliberately,
possibly due to the new legislation acting as a deterrent. Poachers often hide a heavy spear used for
killing dugong in their boat when they go out at night to hunt for turtles, just in case they come across
dugongs feeding in the seagrass beds. The largest group of dugongs seen by respondents was a group of
seven and this was led by a large individual (possibly a mating herd). Respondents had noticed a change
in habitat use by dugong from the mid to late-1990’s. Some individual animals used to be predictable in
their movements, often seen on consecutive days and months in a particular area, but due to boat traffic
and possibly hunting pressure, they are no longer seen at these specific locations. Three informants
mentioned that dugongs like to feed on ‘yoad’ or floating seagrasses, and this has been confirmed off
Ngederrak through observations during a number of flights (these observations were not during the aerial
survey) (Davis and Edward, unpublished data, 2003).
Incidental Sightings System
Palau Conservation Society has developed a reporting system for local sightings of dugongs. Sighting
cards have been distributed to all dive shops and State offices in Palau from where they will be distributed
to the general public. These cards can be returned to the distributing outlet or PCS on completion and the
information will be entered into a central database at the office of the latter. As of mid-2004, there have
been some reported sightings—three reports, totaling eight dugongs—most have been called in, not
reported on the forms. The reporting form is currently being reviewed and revised in light of feedback to
date. More effort will be required to ensure that the relevant agencies, the public and tour operators are
better informed of the sightings system.
Below is a copy of the current incidental reporting card.
19