Sunday August 30, 2009, 7:07 am
North Queensland Land Council chair Terry O'Shane said that although traditional owners had the right to hunt the endangered species for traditional purposes, they had a responsibility to protect the environment.

"What I'm talking to the mobs about is developing a responsible response to those rights. We need to protect the ecosystem. Dugong is an endangered species and we have to recognise that too." His comments come after reports poachers at Yarrabah in far north Queensland have been abusing native title laws to kill dugong and turtles before selling the meat on the black market for up to $50 a kilogram...
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority are investigating the reports.

Yarrabah Mayor Percy Neal said that while he had no direct knowledge of the trade, anyone caught abusing native title rights should be punished.

"They should be prosecuted, we shouldn't be profiting from our native title rights," Mr Neal told AAP.

However, he said, there was little the community could do to stop the practice after the federal government cut funding for its ranger program earlier this year.

The council had employed 16 rangers under the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme before the government axed the program on July 1.

It says the community now has just one ranger to police 240,000 hectares of land and 29km of coastline.

"It's an impossible job," Mr Neal said.

A spokesman for federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett said the Yarrabah council had not applied for land or sea management funding in the wake of the demise of the CDEP scheme.

He said Innisfail-based Terrain Natural Resource Management had been appointed to handle the land management for Yarrabah but no applications for funding had been received in relation to sea management.

Sunday August 30, 2009, 9:46 am
NOTED! THANK YOU CLAUDIA

Sunday August 30, 2009, 1:30 pm
Researched and noted.

Sunday August 30, 2009, 2:29 pm
Claudia noted, thank you for all you have done

Sunday August 30, 2009, 3:59 pm
Thank you Claudia

Monday August 31, 2009, 2:10 am
thanks claudia

Tuesday September 1, 2009, 2:25 am
At last someone with a modecum of commonsense and a vision towards the future.These poachers need to be punished heavily in order to make them undestand that their actions will not be tolerated.

Tuesday September 1, 2009, 8:54 am
notedd, thanks Claudia

Wednesday September 9, 2009, 7:17 am
I am pleased there is support for the much under-appreciated dugong.

I sent a petition to the Director of Fisheries, Thailand:

petition overview | letter
Dugong Population Under Threat From Commercial Fishing
:Dr Jaranthada Karnasuta DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES Thailand
Director General DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES .Sponsored by: Beatrice Baxter.
Thailand's dugong population is now under threat. Trawling and fishing by push net has caused a dramatic and continuous decline in the marine animal's population. According to official statistics, more than 10 dugongs have died over the past 4 months as a result of commercial fishing.



The autopsy of a 40-year-old male dugong in Thailand%u2019s Satun province clearly showed the animal did not die from illness or infection. Instead, the oedema in its chest helped confirm the dugong had struggled to survive so hard it was finally died of shock.


A marine biologist at Phuket Marine Biological Centre, who performed an autopsy for this dugong, believed fishing tools were the culprit.

Although there was no wound on its body caused by a fishing tool, there are traces inside the body, which indicate the dugong suffered a serious shock. For instance, an oedema in pericardium and a blood clot in the torso. These traces were believed to be from a fishing tool, said Phaothep Cherdsukjai, a marine biologist.



Phuket Marine Biological Centre Commercial fishing, namely by trawler and push net, is directly resulting in a sharp drop in the dugong population, as well as other endangered species such as sea turtles.



Illegal fishing within restricted area of 3,000 metres from the shoreline causes the large animals to be trapped in a net, unable to push themselves up to breathe on the sea's surface, which finally ends in their death.



If illegal fishing persists, within the next 10 to 20 years, endangered marine species including dugongs and sea turtles would become extinct in the Thai ocean, said Phaothep.



Construction of wharves, owing to growth of the tourism business, is also
Thailand's dugong population is now under threat. Trawling and fishing by push net has caused a dramatic and continuous decline in the marine animal's population. According to official statistics, more than 10 dugongs have died over the past 4 months as a result of commercial fishing.



The autopsy of a 40-year-old male dugong in Thailand%u2019s Satun province clearly showed the animal did not die from illness or infection. Instead, the oedema in its chest helped confirm the dugong had struggled to survive so hard it was finally died of shock.



A marine biologist at Phuket Marine Biological Centre, who performed an autopsy for this dugong, believed fishing tools were the culprit.



%u201CAlthough there%u2019s no wound on its body caused by a fishing tool, there are traces inside the body, which indicate the dugong suffered a serious shock. For instance, an oedema in pericardium and a blood clot in the torso. These traces were believed to be from a fishing tool,%u201D said Phaothep Cherdsukjai, a marine biologist.



Phuket Marine Biological Centre Commercial fishing, namely by trawler and push net, is directly resulting in a sharp drop in the dugong population, as well as other endangered species such as sea turtles.



Illegal fishing within restricted area of 3,000 metres from the shoreline causes the large animals to be trapped in a net, unable to push themselves up to breathe on the sea's surface, which finally ends in their death.



If illegal fishing persists, within the next 10 to 20 years, endangered marine species including dugongs and sea turtles would become extinct in the Thai ocean, said Phaothep.



Construction of wharves, owing to growth of the tourism business, is also

THAILAND

DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES

Dr Jaranthada Karnasuta
Director General

Kasetsart University Campus,
Paholyothin Road
Bangkok 10900
Thailand

Tel 662-5620523
Fax 662-5620493
Email jaranthk@fisheries.go.th

Dear Dr Karnasuta,



Thailand's dugong population is now under threat. Trawling and fishing by push net has caused a dramatic and continuous decline in the marine animal's population. According to official statistics, more than 10 dugongs have died over the past 4 months as a result of commercial fishing.



The autopsy of a 40-year-old male dugong in Thailand%u2019s Satun province clearly showed the animal did not die from illness or infection. Instead, the oedema in its chest helped confirm the dugong had struggled to survive so hard it was finally died of shock.



A marine biologist at Phuket Marine Biological Centre, who performed an autopsy for this dugong, believed fishing tools were the culprit.



%u201CAlthough there%u2019s no wound on its body caused by a fishing tool, there are traces inside the body, which indicate the dugong suffered a serious shock. For instance, an oedema in pericardium and a blood clot in the torso. These traces were believed to be from a fishing tool,%u201D said Phaothep Cherdsukjai, a marine biologist.



Phuket Marine Biological Centre Commercial fishing, namely by trawler and push net, is directly resulting in a sharp drop in the dugong population, as well as other endangered species such as sea turtles.



Illegal fishing within restricted area of 3,000 metres from the shoreline causes the large animals to be trapped in a net, unable to push themselves up to breathe on the sea's surface, which finally ends in their death.



If illegal fishing persists, within the next 10 to 20 years, endangered marine species including dugongs and sea turtles would become extinct in the Thai ocean, said Phaothep.



Construction of wharves, owing to growth of the tourism business, is also

Thailand's dugong population is now under threat. Trawling and fishing by push net has caused a dramatic and continuous decline in the marine animal's population. According to official statistics, more than 10 dugongs have died over the past 4 months as a result of commercial fishing.



The autopsy of a 40-year-old male dugong in Thailand%u2019s Satun province clearly showed the animal did not die from illness or infection. Instead, the oedema in its chest helped confirm the dugong had struggled to survive so hard it was finally died of shock.



A marine biologist at Phuket Marine Biological Centre, who performed an autopsy for this dugong, believed fishing tools were the culprit.



%u201CAlthough there%u2019s no wound on its body caused by a fishing tool, there are traces inside the body, which indicate the dugong suffered a serious shock. For instance, an oedema in pericardium and a blood clot in the torso. These traces were believed to be from a fishing tool,%u201D said Phaothep Cherdsukjai, a marine biologist.



Phuket Marine Biological Centre Commercial fishing, namely by trawler and push net, is directly resulting in a sharp drop in the dugong population, as well as other endangered species such as sea turtles.



Illegal fishing within restricted area of 3,000 metres from the shoreline causes the large animals to be trapped in a net, unable to push themselves up to breathe on the sea's surface, which finally ends in their death.



If illegal fishing persists, within the next 10 to 20 years, endangered marine species including dugongs and sea turtles would become extinct in the Thai ocean, said Phaothep.



Construction of wharves, owing to growth of the tourism business, is also
signature
goal: 1,000

364
signatures!

Wednesday September 9, 2009, 9:30 am
They look like our manatees who live in Florida....such gentle creatures. Nothing is safe anywhere.

Wednesday September 9, 2009, 12:56 pm
Claudia as always thank you for bringing the need to protect and save the dugong to our attention... Kudos to Beatrice for her petition ... i will send emails to the contacts she has provided. Our Oceans depend on our voice and all marine life therein!

Thursday September 10, 2009, 3:38 am
When animal activists ask to STOP the hunting, to STOP abuse, to STOP killing, WE ACTUALLY MEAN IT!. Dont they understand?