NUMBER 38 OCTOBER 2002
IN
THIS ISSUE: - FLORIDA MANATEE DEATHS HIT RECORD HIGH (p. 7)
-
DUGONG HABITAT THREATENED IN OKINAWA (p. 10)
- DUGONG STATUS SURVEYED IN VIETNAM AND
CAMBODIA (p. 11)
EDITORIAL: MOVING THE GOALPOSTS IN FLORIDA
On October 9, 2002, the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) released a preliminary report recommending that the Florida manatee be
down-listed from endangered to threatened. This may
(or may not) do significant damage to manatee conservation. According to their
press release:
"The preliminary
biological status review has been sent to a panel for external scientific
review. Because this is a preliminary report, that has not yet undergone peer review, the recommendation is only that and is subject to
change. Based on peer evaluations, staff will produce the final biological
status report and present their recommendation to the Commission during their
January meeting. If the Florida manatee is down-listed
protections will still be in place. Before any change to the status of the
manatee could be implemented a management plan will have to be developed for
the species."
Thus the change in the manatees' status
proposed in this document is not yet official; and even if it becomes official,
federal laws may preclude actual weakening of manatee protection measures
already in place. But at the very least, it provides a propaganda weapon to
opponents of manatee protection, because it gives official credence to the
claim that Florida manatees are no
longer "endangered".
Of course, U.S. political
scandals in recent years have reminded us to pay close attention to the
definitions of words used by lawyers. In this case, it all depends on what the
meaning of "endangered" is, because (as explained in the following
editorial by Pat Rose) we're not all reading from the same dictionary. - DPD
* * *
In early October, the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) finished its preliminary
review of the currently endangered manatee population's status and found that
it meets their definition for "Threatened."
Some fishing and boating
groups are rejoicing. They are getting what they wanted -- a declaration by the
state of Florida that manatees are no longer endangered. Never mind
that manatees are still listed as endangered under the federal Endangered
Species Act. Never mind that anywhere else in the world manatees would still be
considered endangered if these same standards were applied. Never mind that the
FWCC review found the Florida manatee population might be
reduced by more than 50 percent within the next 45 years. And don't forget that
a new record for manatees being killed by boats is being set nearly every week.
What changed, you may ask,
to bring about this miraculous recovery? They simply changed the definition of
the classification. "What's in a name?" Shakespeare asked. This time,
a name could have dire and lasting consequences.
We can no sooner eliminate
poverty and save starving children by lowering the definition of poverty than
we can recover an endangered species by raising the standards for it to qualify
as endangered. Yet this is just what the state of Florida has done. They did it to
the federally listed endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, because of pressure
from logging and development interests, and they are about to do it to the
federally listed endangered manatee, because of pressure from boating and
marine industry interests.
Faced with a continuation of
accelerating boating-related manatee mortality and the prospects of new slow
speed zones in order to protect manatees from increasing numbers of boating
strikes, a recreational fishing group, the Coastal Conservation Association,
petitioned the FWCC last year to reevaluate the endangered status of manatees.
Knowing that in 1999, following heavy lobbying from the legislature, the FWCC
made it much more difficult for species to be listed as endangered or
threatened, the fishing group hoped that by forcing the FWCC to review the
status of the manatee population under their new, much stricter criteria,
manatees would not meet the new definition for endangered.
You see, although the FWCC
had adopted the basic listing criteria used by the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for classifying imperiled species, they
conspicuously elected to use different titles or names for these
classifications. Under the modified language, in order for manatees to remain
classified as Endangered, they would now have to meet the IUCN standards for
Critically Endangered, which means a species may have to undergo or be at the
risk of undergoing an 80 percent decline in its population. Similarly, in order
for manatees to even be classified as threatened, they would have to meet the
IUCN standards for Endangered [the IUCN definitions can be found at <http://www.redlist.org/info/categories_
criteria2001.html>]:
n
IUCN Critically Endangered = FWCC Endangered;
n
IUCN Endangered = FWCC Threatened.
Under the new criteria, the
FWCC has made it almost impossible for any species currently listed as
endangered on the state's protected species list to remain so. The federal
Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) has stated that even the critically endangered
northern right whale, with a population of around 300 individuals, would not
continue to be listed as endangered under the state's too-stringent criteria.
The MMC also stated that the FWCC's criteria "as
currently formulated are fundamentally flawed and inappropriate for marine
mammals, as well as sea turtles and perhaps certain other species" and
strongly recommended the manatee retain its endangered status and that the
state revise its criteria.
The findings of the FWCC
review should serve as a warning that we must reduce human-related manatee
mortality and other negative impacts to manatees and their habitat. Certainly,
with record-breaking manatee mortality from watercraft collisions (85 deaths,
or 33 percent of all mortalities so far this year), and more and more boats
operating in manatee habitat every day, manatees need all the help we can give
them.
Save the Manatee Club
maintains that the state criteria need to be modified in order to be meaningful
for the evaluation of long-lived marine mammals such as the manatee. The FWCC should
immediately convene a scientific panel to develop appropriate species-specific
listing criteria.
It should be a wake-up call
for everyone who loves manatees that their protected status under Florida law presently hinges on a
question of semantics. Playing word games doesn't change the reality of the
serious and increasing threats manatees are facing for their long-term
survival, as clearly described in the FWCC status review. The manatee's status
should remain unchanged until they are adequately protected, their habitat is
secured, and a healthy, sustainable population is ensured for many generations
to come. - Patrick
M. Rose (Director of Government Relations, Save the Manatee
Club) (Reprinted from the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Oct. 10, 2002.)
SIRENIAN
GENETICS WORKING GROUP
I am in the process of
tabulating a list of Who’s Who in the sirenian genetics community. If you have
been working on a related genetics project, or are presently working on a
genetics component of research, or know someone who plans to or is, please
contact Bob Bonde (bonde@usgs.gov)
of the U.S. Geological Survey. I would like your detailed contact information
(name, address, phone number, and e-mail address) and a brief paragraph on your
project design and accomplishments to date. I would also like to form a
Genetics Working Group and would add your name to a list of active researchers.
Perhaps we could even develop an electronic newsletter, look at ways of
communicating and sharing information, and trouble-shoot communal problems in a
group format. - Robert
K. Bonde (Biologist - Sirenia Project, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida
Caribbean Science Center, 412 N.E. 16th Avenue, Room 250, Gainesville, Florida
32601-3701; phone: (352)372-2571 ext.17; fax: (352)374-8080)
LETTER
To Sirenews:
In
Sirenews No. 33 (April 2000) you
mention our company. You are of the opinion that there is little known about
the "true" status of African manatees in the wild.
In
recent years there were at least two [major] researches on Trichechus senegalensis in Guinea-Bissau: [one by] Schuhmann et al. (1996) published in Natur und Museum (Frankfurt), and [one] by
ICN Portugal (1998). Both expeditions came to the same result of very strong
populations of this species in all the greater freshwater rivers on the
mainland as well as in the Bijagos Archipelago.
Also
it is not [true that] there is "continued commerce" in this species.
The demand [for captive animals] will be world-wide very [much] less than the
annual export quota of 6 animals in Guinea-Bissau. The locals
capture much more of them just to eat them.
- M. Schuhmann (River Zoo-Farm, Guinea-Bissau)
NEW WEBSITE
I wish to announce the
“official opening” of the Fundación Salvemos al Manatí de Costa Rica’s
website (www.fundacionmanati.org). I
think that it is a good showcase of the things that we’ve been doing in the
region since I started working with manatees as an M.Sc. student until now, and a good way to be grateful to
the organizations who have funded our work during the last years.
Though the site has been
thought to fill what I consider a great gap of information about manatees in
the Spanish-speaking community, we have also designed an English version of our
website to share our results, documents and future plans with the wider manatee
community and our funding sources. The English version has not been thoroughly
reviewed for spelling and grammatical errors but I think it will fulfil its
role until then. I hope you enjoy it. - Ignacio
Jiménez
NEW JOURNAL
It is our pleasure to bring
to your knowledge the launch of The
Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals
(LAJAM). The journal aims to promote and disseminate scientific
knowledge concerning aquatic mammals and their environment in Latin America. Ideally, such knowledge
will be developed through collaboration among scientists from many countries
and various disciplines. For several years there has been discussion within the
Latin American Society for Aquatic Mammals (SOLAMAC) about the importance of
producing a journal of this kind. Members of the Society have expressed
differing views on the subject, and as a consequence the journal’s gestation
has taken longer than many of us had hoped it would. Despite obvious progress
in the quantity and quality of aquatic mammal science in Latin America during the last decade, the
dissemination of scientific knowledge has been limited. The SOLAMAC believes
the Journal is an appropriate way to expand the frontiers. The success of the
Journal will depend on the dedication and good will of all members of the
Society and researchers. All members of SOLAMAC, aquatic mammal researchers and
students are invited to be a part of this challenge.
The LAJAM will be published twice a year in English. Additional
information, including the 'guide to authors' can be obtained from the SOLAMAC
webpage (www.solamac.org) or by
contacting the editors (lajam@infolink.com.br).
The inaugural volume of the
journal (Special Issue on the Biology and Conservation of the Franciscana) has just come out and will be officially launched
during the 10th South American Conference on Aquatic Mammals/4th Meeting of the
Latin American Society for Aquatic Mammals to be held from 14 to 19 October in Valdivia, Chile. - Eduardo
R. Secchi and
Salvatore Siciliano, Managing Editors
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Sirenian International is a grassroots
organization dedicated to worldwide manatee and dugong conservation through
research and education. We are
interested in sponsoring research, conservation, and education projects focused
on manatees and/or dugongs around the world, with priority given to projects in
developing nations where funding is traditionally difficult to secure. Typical awards are US $500 - $1,000.
There
is no deadline for application; proposals are accepted year-round. HOWEVER, grants are awarded subject to review
by our Scientific Advisory Council and the availability of funds. Please send a preliminary email to Sirenian
International Grant Proposals (c/o caryn@sirenian.org) to determine current
availability of funds and status of the review process, which is semi-annual
and roughly correlated with Sirenews
publication dates of April and October.
In
keeping with our mission of sirenian conservation through inter-cultural
collaboration, we encourage networking, community outreach, and student
development components in all proposals.
We will use the following criteria to evaluate grant proposals:
- Involvement of
recognized representatives of host countries (e.g., governmental agencies,
NGOs, academic institutions, local students) in the planning,
implementation and/or evaluation of the proposed project.
- Inclusion of local
people/communities in project design, implementation, data collection,
data reduction, etc.
- Sound project design,
meeting the standards of peer review.
- Demonstrated
effectiveness at presenting results to popular and technical audiences.
- Intent to publish
findings at scientific meetings, in peer-reviewed journals and/or through
the public media (e.g., popular magazines, newsletters, radio, TV,
Internet).
- Plan for educational
outreach prior to, during, and/or after the conclusion of the project
(e.g., newsletter articles, local presentations).
Each grant recipient agrees
to register with Sirenian International as a Participating Member and to submit
information about their project to SI for use on our website and in our
newsletters. To apply for a small grant,
please submit the following:
- Cover letter, briefly
outlining your request for funds (1-2 pages).
- A concise proposal
(5-10 pages) that includes:
- relevance of project
and appropriate background information, including a literature review;
- clearly stated
objectives and how the anticipated results of the project relate to the
stated goals of any appropriate manatee or dugong conservation efforts
within your host country or at the regional level if your host country
has no conservation program;
- clearly stated
methods, estimated duration of the project, and plans for follow-up,
application of results, and/or future work;
- resume or CV (1-2
pages) for each project leader;
- detailed budget (1-2 pages),
including matching funds if necessary to complete project, and whether
matching funds are applied for or already secured.
- two (min.) to three (max.)
letters of recommendation (1-2 pages), complete with your reference's
contact information (e-mail addresses and phone numbers preferred). If you are a student, one letter should
be from your academic advisor; if you are working within an organization,
one letter should be from your supervisor or executive director. Important:
If you are working as a visiting researcher/conservationist/educator
outside of your own homeland, one reference must come from a local
collaborator.
IMPORTANT: Electronic submissions in English are
preferred. Combine the cover letter, proposal, CV, budget, etc., in ONE file and send as an attachment to
e-mail [MSWord document (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf)]. DO NOT
use fancy formatting; DO NOT include images or photos in the document. Please
ask your references to send letters without any images or logos. Submit to <caryn@sirenian.org>. For more information about Sirenian
International, please visit our website at <http://www.sirenian.org> or
contact Caryn Self Sullivan (200 Stonewall Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 USA; e-mail: <caryn@sirenian.org>).
Sirenian International, Inc., is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in Virginia, USA.
LOCAL NEWS
COSTA RICA
Offshore
Oil Drilling Defeated. - Plans to open Costa Rica's Talamanca coast to oil
drilling have been killed by the Costa Rican government, following two years of
protests on behalf of the region's wildlife (including manatees), indigenous
population, and ecotourism industry. The U.S.-based Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC) helped in expanding the protests internationally.
Drilling
rights had been lobbied for by Harken Costa Rica
Holdings, a company co-owned by MKJ-Xplorations and Harken Energy, a Houston-based oil and gas company with
ties to U.S. President George W. Bush. NRDC is seeking to obtain State
Department documents detailing how the Bush administration may have pressured
the Cosat Rican government on behalf of Harken interests.
- (Source: NRDC newsletter Nature's Voice, Jan./Feb.
and Sept./Oct. 2002)
FLORIDA
Manatee Deaths Hit
Record High. - Watercraft-related manatee mortality has
reached an all-time record high of 83 deaths as of late September. On September 26, a manatee died at the Sea
World of Florida rehabilitation facility in Orlando, Florida. The manatee
had been struck by a boat in Brevard County in July 2002. This recent
manatee death also sets a new all-time record high of 14 watercraft deaths in Brevard County, which also leads the state in total manatee mortalities.
In general, about 25% of manatee deaths can be
attributed to boat strikes, said Tom Pitchford of the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's
Pathobiology Laboratory. "Last year there were
81 manatees killed by boats,
which is about average for the past three years," he said. So far this
year, however, 33% of manatee deaths have been from collisions with boats, as
of September.
Since the early 1990s, boat registration in Florida has more than doubled. Presently, there are over 900,000 boats
registered in Florida and approximately 400,000 boats registered in other
states using Florida’s waterways.
Statistics
from the Florida Marine Research Institute show that most watercraft-related
manatee deaths are attributed to impacts from the boat hull or lower unit of
the motor rather than propeller cuts. Because they feed on aquatic vegetation,
they prefer shallow waters where there is often not enough clearance for a boat
hull to pass safely over a manatee’s back.
Therefore, any fast-moving boat can injure or kill a manatee.
To
put these numbers in some perspective, the total annual Florida manatee mortality in recent years has been in the
range of 7-13% of the highest statewide minimum population count ever recorded
(3,276 in 2001). This is about the same as some estimates of the manatee's intrinsic
rate of increase, indicating that the population may already be barely able or
unable to replace losses of this magnitude, and certainly could not sustain
much of an increase in mortality rate without going into a decline. - (Sources: St.
Peters-burg Times, July 10, 2002; FMRI.)
"Manatee Chow" Developed. - Manatees at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park primarily eat romaine
lettuce and other greens. Now a researcher suggests the park could save another
kind of green - cash - by altering the sea cows' diet.
In
recent months, the park has fed its nine manatees a new chow that University of
Florida (UF) veterinarian Paul Cardeilhac developed.
The nuggets are a concentration of all the nutritional ingredients the captive
creatures would pick up if they were munching weeds in the open waters.
Each
manatee consumes 50 or more pounds of lettuce per day, so Cardeilhac
estimates the park could save US$73,000 per year by feeding them his chow along
with lesser amounts of lettuce and other vegetables.
Because
the food has a concentrated nutrient density, a manatee would need just 2½
pounds of the chow a day at an annual cost of US$2,000. Fresh produce could
cost US$18,000 per year for each animal.
"The
manatees in captivity are there primarily because of injuries caused by
humans," Cardeilhac was quoted as saying in a UF
news release. "It's our responsibility to take care of those animals. We
don't want the cost of feed to be prohibitive of keeping a manatee in captivity
as long as needed."
The
nine manatees in Homosassa Springs are among 43 manatees in captivity
nationwide. Park visitors can observe the gentle giants.
The
park manatees get the nuggets - which consist of alfalfa, soybean meal and
hulls, kelp, wheat and vitamins and minerals - as a part of the daily manatee
shows. The nuggets also float, although when dropped in the park's feeding area
- known as the "salad bar" - they tend to get snatched by the wild sheepshead that
share the fishbowl area with the manatees, according to veterinarian
Mark Lowe.
Lowe
said he is monitoring the manatees closely to make sure the new food doesn't
cause more problems than it might solve. Manatees are built to process large
quantities of vegetation every day, so lettuce and carrots will always be part of
their menu at the park.
"There
is no way I would ever dare stop that. Manatees are a browser, a grazing type
of animal," Lowe said.
"My
manatees in Homosassa are fat and I was hoping to give them something that
might help them lose 100 pounds or so," Lowe said. That means the chow
that has been used so far, which was designed to be highly digestible and
packed with calories, would not be good in the long run to feed the Homosassa
captive herd. It was basically created to help captive injured animals who need
concentrated nutrition.
No problem. Cardeilhac, who is a professor at UF's
College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences,
has devised a second formula for manatee maintenance. Lowe said that version
soon will be tried at the park. It is less digestible and contains fewer
calories. - Barbara Behrendt (St. Petersburg Times, October 16, 2002)
5,500,000 More Floridians by 2025. - A new report by Negative
Population Growth (NPG) estimates that if Florida does not institute a plan
to limit population growth, it can expect more than 5.5 million new residents
to its present population of over 16 million in the next 25 years, further
overwhelming the infrastructure and damaging the environment for people,
manatees, and other wildlife alike.
An NPG poll in 1999 found that over 70% of Florida voters believe overcrowding
and overpopulation is a major problem in the state; nearly 60% believe that
adding 5 million more people is a serious problem; and 68% agree that "Florida would be better-off in the
long term with a smaller population."
In a related development, the St. Petersburg Times reported on Nov. 10, 2001, that an internal
document of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), prepared over the
previous summer by the FWS Vero Beach office and labeled "Not For
Release", had come to light as part of the manatee-protection lawsuit
filed by the Save the Manatee Club and other environmental groups. In it, FWS
officials wrote that if there were enough officers on the waterways enforcing
boat-speed regulations, "then the number of boats on the water … would
largely be irrelevant." They calculated that because the state had
recently hired 25 new game officers and reassigned 23 more to manatee
protection duties, Florida could add 369,920 more boat
slips over the next 10 years. Currently, the state averages about 5,000 new
slips a year.
Environmental advocates said that they were appalled at the
philosophy expressed in the document, and that it undercut the whole premise of
having individual Florida counties develop their own
manatee protection plans - a process that has been underway since 1989. These
plans are premised in large part on the critical need to control the number of
boats in manatee habitat.
For a copy of "Focus on Florida: Population, Resources, and
Quality of Life", contact NPG at 1-202-667-8950 or <npg@npg.org>.
Guiltless
in Miami. - O.J. Simpson has pleaded innocent to a charge that he sped through a
no-wake zone near Miami's downtown in a power boat,
his attorney said Sept. 25. Simpson's 30-foot boat was ticketed July 4 by a
Marine Patrol officer for creating a wake in an area where speed limits have
been reduced to protect endangered manatees, authorities said. Also on board
was Simpson's ex-girlfriend, Christie Prody.
Lawyer Yale Galanter said Simpson entered his plea Sept. 17, five days
after he was issued an "affidavit of noncompliance" by a judge for
failing to appear for an arraignment. Galanter said
he did not believe Simpson was required to appear in court on that date. A
hearing on the boating charge has not yet been set. Simpson chose to plead not
guilty rather than pay the US$65 fine, Galanter
said.
Simpson, 55, was acquitted
of murder charges in the 1994 slayings of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and
her friend, Ronald Goldman. A civil jury later held the former football star
liable for the killings and ordered him to pay the victims' survivors US$33.5
million. He continues to maintain his innocence in the killings. -
(Sources: Associated Press Online; The
Orlando Sentinel)
JAPAN
International
Dugong Sym-posium. - An International Dugong
Symposium was held in Tokyo on 28-29 September 2002. It
was sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature Japan, the Nature Conservation
Society of Japan, and the Save Dugong Campaign Center, with the cooperation of
the Mammalogical Society of Japan.
The purpose of the symposium
was to study the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) "Dugong
Status Report and Action Plans for Countries and Territories," adopted in
Feb. 2002 <http://www.unep.org/
DEWA/reports/dugongreport.asp>, and to
exchange recent information about research and conservation activities
regarding the dugong in various parts of the world, and also to draw up an
action plan for the protection of the dugongs of Okinawa.
The central to northern
coastline of Okinawa Island is the only known habitat
of the dugong in Japan. This distribution area is
extremely restricted and isolated from other populations, and the number of
individuals is thought to be very small. Okinawa's dugongs face serious
threats from incidental bycatch in fishing nets and
plans for the construction of a military base in the middle of their habitat
[see Sirenews Nos. 31 and 34].
Protection measures are urgently needed to keep the Okinawan
population of dugongs from going extinct. The most important thing will be to
stop construction of the military base in their habitat. Meanwhile, elsewhere
in Okinawa:
Landfill in Dugong Habitat Already Begun. - Authorities have announced
that they would start landfill work at the Awase
tidal flat area in Okinawa, beginning 8 October 2002.
The Okinawa General Bureau, the central government agency in charge of
development projects in Okinawa, has thus ignored its own Review and
Monitoring Committee for the Environment. The Committee was established to
review the feasibility of large-scale mechanical transplanting of seagrass beds
at Awase. The last meeting of the Committee was held
on 30 September, and some members expressed their doubts about the feasibility
of such large-scale mechanical seagrass transplanting..
However, the Okinawa General Bureau concluded that the Committee had spent
enough time on discussion, and that the monitoring of transplanted seagrass
should be continued while construction goes ahead, with a view to improving
transplanting techniques. Meanwhile, they decided that most of the
transplanting of seagrass will be carried out by hand.
Local conservation NGOs have naturally raised the question of why the
Committee went to so much trouble to study the mechanical transplantation
process if transplanting by hand is feasible, and further, whether a sufficient
extent of seagrass beds can be transplanted by hand. The rationale behind the
experimental mechanical transplantation idea was that a large amount of
seagrass must be transplanted to make room for the landfill. Most NGOs oppose
the project altogether, as it would needlessly destroy one of the few remaining
natural tidal flat/sea grass wetlands in Okinawa.
It is apparent that the
Okinawa General Bureau, together with the Okinawa Prefectural
Government and Okinawa City, want to start landfilling within this fiscal year no matter what their
Committee says. This is irregular procedure. Moreover, developers have paid
insufficient attention to domestic and international concern about the
importance of remaining tidal flat areas in Okinawa Island.
The Ministry of Environment
published a list of "500 Important Wetlands in Japan" this year. The Awase Tidal Flat Area is one of them. A recent survey by
the same Ministry has also revealed that the Awase
area is one of the three most important sites for endangered dugongs. It is
unbelievable that the Japanese authorities would seriously embark on the
destruction of such important wetland between the Johannesburg Summit and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Conference of the Parties
(coming up in November).
For further information on Awase, please visit the web pages in English prepared by
local conservation NGOs: <http://www.ne.jp/asahi/awase/
save/english/>. If you would like to express
your concern over this disturbing decision, please help local NGOs in Okinawa by sending messages to the
following e-mail addresses or through those web pages:
The Prime Minister, Mr Jun-ichiro Koizumi: <http://www.kantei.go.
jp/foreign/forms/comment.html>
The Minister in charge of
Okinawa Affairs, Mr Hiroyuki Hosokawa: <http://www.iijnet.or.jp/
cao/kanbou/opinion-kokusai-e.html>
The Ministry of Environment:
<MOE@env.go.jp>
The Okinawa General Bureau: <soumu2@ogb.cao.go.jp>
The Okinawa Prefectural Gov-ernment: <okinawa@pref.okinawa.jp>
Please CC to a local
conservation NGO in Okinawa, to which you can also write for further information: <awase_info@yahoo.co.jp> - (Source:
SIRENIAN listserv)
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Tri-national Dugong Conser-vation Project in Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand, July
2002. - Sirenian
International awarded a small grant to Kanjana Adulyanukosol of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (Phuket 83000, Thailand), enabling her to
participate in the design and set-up of a dugong and seagrass habitat research
and monitoring project sponsored by the Marine and Coastal Programme of WWF
Indochina. Ms. Adulyanukosol joined Dr. Ellen Hines from San Francisco State
University, USA; Mr. Nick Cox from WWF Indochina; Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa from the
Institute of Oceanography, Nha Trang, Vietnam; Ms. Hoang Thi To Linh from WWF
Indochina; Mr. Phay Somany from WCS, Cambodia; and Mr. Leng Sam Ath from the
Department of Fisheries, Cambodia, for a two-week expedition in July.
Objectives - During the expedition, the WWF team interviewed local fishermen and
conducted habitat surveys in Cambodia and Vietnam. The general objectives
were: (1) to interview local fishermen about the status of dugongs and
seagrass; (2) to investigate fishing gear that causes injury to dugongs and
fishing gear that destroys seagrass habitat; (3) to survey seagrass areas in
order to know the density, species, and status of seagrass habitat; (4) to
learn what the local people believe about dugongs, such as the usage and sales
of dugong parts as food, medicine, and amulets, and myths/legends about
dugongs; and (5) to learn the opinions of the local people regarding dugongs
and seagrass conservation. Forty people from Cambodia (20) and Vietnam (20) were interviewed
during the two-week expedition.
Results - In Cambodia, from Kampot village south
to Kep village, 8 species of seagrasses were found. At present, no one studies
the seagrass habitat. Few of the people interviewed knew anything about the
diversity of seagrass species in the area. However, they did know that seagrass
beds are good habitats for marine economic species such as fish, shrimp, and
crabs. Trawlers operated in the seagrass beds and contributed to destruction of
the seagrass habitat. Most dugong deaths reported were related to the fishing
nets set in the seagrass beds. Local people sometimes keep dugong parts such as
dried skin, dried sex organs, skulls, ribs and other bones for luck; some have
collected dugong parts over a 10-year period. Some people believe dugong bone
powder (especially from the ribs) can cure fever and that dugong oil heals a
wound. Dugong teeth are used to make necklaces, ribs are carved into amulets,
and dugong tusks bring a high price. No reports of dugong legends or myths were
recorded. Since 1979, when Pol Pot was deposed and fishermen were allowed to
return to the sea, all marine creatures have decreased in the areas surveyed,
including dugongs.
In Vietnam, 20 persons from Con Dao Island and Phu Quoc Island were interviewed. Nine
species of seagrass were reported. During the survey at Con Dao, the WWF team
observed an abundance of Halophila ovalis
at Lo Voi Bay. Unfortunately, no dugongs were seen at Dat Doc Bay during a 3-hour observation
period. Con Dao Island seems to be good habitat
for dugongs because of its remote location and the fact that much of its area
(both on land and in the sea) lies within the Con Dao National Park. Park regulations protect
coral and seagrass resources, and marine organisms - especially the endangered
dugongs and sea turtles. Despite the protection afforded to dugongs in the
park, 10 animals have died since 1997. There are (probably) no big users of
fishing gear, such as trawlers, operating in the area. One local reported that
dugong ribs are used to make pipes.
Historically, a large group
of dugongs inhabited the waters around Phu Quoc Island, especially along the east
coast. Abundant seagrass habitat was
observed and 9 species of seagrass were reported. In the recent past, 5-6 dugong hunters have
been known to take dugongs near Phu Quoc Island; some were
interviewed. Hunters used a special net,
called a “sting ray gillnet”, to catch dugongs, green turtles, sharks, and
rays. One to two dugongs were harvested
per year, and sometimes a cow-calf pair was taken -- a cow-calf pair was only
counted as one individual by the fishermen. Dugongs greatly increase income as
every part of the dugong can be sold. The tusk is the most expensive, followed
by the skin and meat, respectively. Locals here also ground the rib into a
powder that could cure fever. The oldest dugong hunter, having 60 years'
experience, decorated the wall of his house with dugong ribs, which were used
for hanging his hat and shirt. Dugong
hunters always kept a pair of tusks for luck. If they got longer tusks they
would sell the shorter ones -- longer tusks were more valuable than shorter
ones.
Comments - The Cambodian fishermen know that the marine organisms are now
decreasing and they care about conservation of coastal resources, including
dugongs and seagrass. The basic issues in Cambodia are the reduction or
banning of near-shore trawler operations and the banning of surrounding net
operations within the seagrass beds. In general, local people have poor
education; more education is needed, especially about coastal conservation and
management. Officers from the Cambodian Ministry of Fisheries also play an
important role in dugong and seagrass conservation.
Most Vietnamese fishermen do not have
the same conservation concerns about dugongs, sea turtles, and seagrass
habitats. They believe that whether they kill or do not kill the dugongs, there
will still be dugongs in the sea. As for sea turtles, they observe that they
lay many eggs and many hatchlings return to the sea, so many locals don’t
believe that the turtles will become extinct. There are still active dugong
hunters in Vietnam. three
hunters were interviewed, including one who has also trained his son. In
general, conservation education is urgently needed in Vietnam. Cambodia and Vietnam are currently considering
endangered species legislation, a necessary component to conservation efforts
in both nations. WWF Indochina is seeking funds to act on the findings and
recommendations of this survey. - Kanjana
Adulyanukosol (report edited by
Ellen Hines, Nick Cox and Caryn Self Sullivan)
WEST AFRICA
Manatee Research in the Bight of
Benin. - A field research and conservation project on West
African manatees in countries around the Bight of Benin (Benin, Togo, and parts of Nigeria and Ghana) is being planned by
Jean-Paul Risch. It will involve both
visiting (mostly European) and local researchers, as well as
collaborators from NGOs. For further information and an outline of the proposed
project, contact Jean-Paul Risch, 86, Kohlenberg, L-1870
Luxembourg (tel./fax: (+352) 48 16 89).
ABSTRACTS
The following abstracts are of presentations at the XXVII International Meeting
for the Study of Marine Mammals held in Veracruz, Mexico, 12-15 May 2002.
Manatee Outreach Programs in Latin America:
Helping People Help Endangered Species.
Gregory D. Bossart Division of Marine Mammal Research and
Conservation, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, 5600 US 1 North, Ft.
Pierce, FL 34946, USA
Conservation outreach programs
involving the medical care and rehabilitation of Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus)
and Amazonian manatees (Trichechus
inunguis) have been established in Guyana,
Brazil, Trinidad,
Colombia, Belize,
and Mexico
through the Division of Marine Mammal Research and Conservation at Harbor
Branch. These outreach programs support emerging conservation projects in these
countries. The projects range in infrastructure organization, personnel support
and scientific and philosophical goals. The manatee components of these
projects have been either planned or accidental, the latter generally involving
the presentation of a dependent orphaned manatee calf. Orphaned calves are
typically presented as a consequence of opportunistic hunting of the dam.
Veterinarians from Harbor Branch have provided veterinary medical consultations
for injured, sick and fishery-interaction animals in these countries.
Consultations have been made via the Internet, telephone and on-site visits.
Medical supplies, natural manatee milk, artificial milk formulas and manatee immunoglobulins have been sent via air express delivery.
Additionally, on 10 occasions, on-site assistance has been provided. The site
visits were structured as animal care and teaching programs and included
aspects of manatee husbandry, veterinary medicine and natural history. The care
of orphaned manatees has represented the most common situation. Manatee calf
care is a complex issue and involves husbandry (caretaker experience, habitat,
life support, artificial milk formulation, etc.) and medical issues. Calf
medical problems generally include treatment of the metabolic effects of
prolonged inanition and life-threatening gastrointestinal inflammation that is
due to probable combined immunologic, artificial nursing formula and infectious
disease factors. The facilities in Brazil,
Mexico, Colombia,
and Belize,
either have or are in the process of reintroducing rehabilitated animals to a
free-ranging state. Other facilities are maintaining manatees in captivity for
educational purposes. This presentation will describe this unique conservation
program that has shown that the wildlife veterinarian can play an important
role in emerging endangered species conservation programs throughout the world.
Behavior of Two West Indian Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Manatus) Kept in a
Controlled Area at Puerto Aventuras, Quintana Roo, México.
Antonio Mauricio Cortez Aguilar1,
Roberto Sánchez Okrucky1 & Gregory D. Bossart2.
1. Dolphin Discovery. Blvd. Kukulkán
km 5. Playa Langosta Local 10. Cancún,
Quintana Roo. 77500. MÉXICO.
2. Division of Marine Mammal Research and
Conservation, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution.
5600 US 1 North, Ft. Pierce, FL 34946, USA.
In August, 2001 two West Indian
manatees, a male and a female, coming from Jonuta, Tabasco
arrived at the Dolphin Discovery facility in Puerto Aventuras.
The area where they are living is a 497 m2 deposit of sea water with
sources of freshwater coming from several cenotes.
The area is divided into five different zones, each with distinctive characteristics.
During the months of November and December of 2001 and January of 2002,
behavioral observations were carried out by means of continuous focal sampling.
These observations were made in periods of 20 minutes throughout the day, with
each behavioral event being monitored in the area where the manatees were found
at that moment. We made observations for 46 days bringing a total of 104 hr and
20 min of accumulated observation time. The behaviors displayed most frequently
were: Feeding (27.4%), Stay over the bottom (19.9%), Grazing (18.5%), Belly
retraction (16.9%) and Swimming or moving towards a defined direction (12.5%).
The correlation of the behavior with the hour in which it was recorded turned
out to be significant (P < 0.01) as well as that of occupation or area
preference by sex (P < 0.01). Both animals showed a marked preference for
the deepest area which also happens to be the area where they are fed. This
early behavior analysis will serve as a basis to analyze later behavior changes
as their environment and daily activities change when they are integrated into
an interactive program for the purpose of environmental education.
Mortality
of Manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Chetumal Bay, México (1990 – 2002).
Benjamín Morales Vela, Janneth Padilla Saldívar & Mauro Sanvicente
López.
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Unidad Chetumal. Carretera Chetumal -
Bacalar km 2. Zona Industrial 2. Chetumal, Quintana Roo. 77049. MÉXICO.
From
1990 to 2002, 24 dead manatees have been recorded in Chetumal Bay (CHB). For 17
manatees the cause of death was unidentified, but it was determined that seven
died due to a variety of human activities (two because of fishing nets, two due
to collisions with watercraft, two were wounded and one was hunted). This
sample consisted of 13 adults, six young manatees and five calves. These
records are considered as a sample as consistent monitoring and surveillance
are not carried out along the entire CHB shoreline. The recovered bone samples
are deposited in the Zoology Museum of ECOSUR at Chetumal. Fishing nets set in
shallow waters and watercraft traffic occasionally cause
accidental manatee deaths. The impact of the various activities developing in
the CHB and Hondo River margins must be evaluated. The regulations governing
use that are included in the Manatee Sanctuary management program must be
enforced in order to minimize risks that threaten this species and the
integrity of its habitat. Signs warning of the manatees’ presence, informing of
their protected status, and regulating boat s