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– Recovery from fishing and tourism.
dugong is a marine mammal. It is one of the four creatures of the order sirenwhich also includes three manatee. It is the only living representative of a once diverse family Dugong family; its nearest modern relative, Steller’s Manatee (Hydra), hunted to extinct in the 18th century.
The dugong is the only siren in its range, spanning the waters of some 40 countries and territories. Indo-West Pacific. Dugongs rely heavily on seaweed Community survival and therefore limited to support seagrass meadowthe largest concentrations of dugongs usually occur in wide, shallow protected areas such as bay, mangrove channellarge waters nearshore Islands and inter-reef waters.Australia’s northern waters Shark Bay and Moreton Bay Considered a contemporary stronghold of the dugong.
Dugongs have been hunted for thousands of years Meat and Oil. Traditional hunting remains culturally significant in several countries within its modern range, notably northern Australia and the Pacific Islands. The current distribution of dugongs is fragmented, and many populations are considered near extinction.This IUCN Dugongs are listed as vulnerable to extinction, while CITES Restriction or prohibition on trade in derivatives.Despite being protected by law in many countries, the main reason for the decline in population remains man-made Includes fishing-related deaths, habitat degradation and hunting. Dugongs live more than 70 years, reproduce slowly, and are particularly vulnerable to extinction.
“The presence or absence of dugongs tells us a lot about the health, diversity and pollution levels of ecosystems,” said Mirey Atallah, head of the Natural Climate Unit at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“The Abu Dhabi Initiative is a model that targets restoration on land and at sea, and thus benefits not only the dugongs, but the people who live in the area,” Atala added. “Due to climate change, pollution and other stressors, dugongs may starve to death like their cousin manatees in Florida. This is a commendable initiative, and we hope to see other seagrass beds replicated.”
The only herbivorous mammal in the ocean, the dugong resembles a dolphin, but with a wider nose and a whale-like tail. Due to their gentle expressions, slow movements and fondness for shallow water, precarious sailors have mistaken them for mermaids over the centuries.
Once regularly reported in tropical and subtropical waters from East Africa to Vanuatu, dugongs have been hit hard by hunting, habitat loss and entanglement in deadly fishing gear. They have become extinct in some regions and are thought to be vulnerable globally.
In the latest setback, scientists this week concluded that the species is “functionally extinct” in China, meaning that if there are any remaining, they will be too few to survive long-term. Of the nearly 800 Chinese fishermen interviewed, only three reported seeing dugongs in the past five years. The study said the last validated field observation was in 2000.
In many other countries, including Kenya, Japan and Indonesia, dugong populations are falling sharply. But the Abu Dhabi project hopes to reverse that trend by restoring coastal ecosystems, including the most important seagrass beds where dugongs graze.
The emirate is located in the southwest of the Arabian Gulf, and its coastal ecosystem and traditional fisheries face numerous pressures, from dredging to clearing land for housing and industrial development, as well as pollution from the region’s oil industry.
Mirey Atallah, Head of Natural Climate at UN Environment
To protect key areas of biodiversity, Abu Dhabi Environment has developed plans to ensure fisheries restoration, mangrove and seagrass beds restoration, and coral reef restoration.
Scientists will hope the project will have a positive impact on regional dugong populations, which in the past have been home to thousands in Abu Dhabi and other Gulf states (only Australia is believed to have a larger population). Also likely to benefit are four species of sea turtles, three species of dolphins, and many of the 500 species of fish found off the coast of Abu Dhabi and around the islands.
Restored ecosystems are expected to sequester large amounts of carbon and provide economic benefits through employment, food supply and ecotourism.
In 2017, a massive coral bleaching event killed more than 70 percent of the coral in the Abu Dhabi Sea, but now the country is working to restore mangroves, coral and seagrass so dugongs, sea turtles and our coastal communities can thrive.
The project has restored about 7,500 hectares of mangroves, which authorities aim to complete by 2030. The day marks the end of the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, as countries aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and their targets. Paris climate change agreement.
The role of ecosystem restoration in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises and reducing the risk of extinction will be on the agenda when world leaders gather in Montreal in December to adopt the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
Healthy biodiversity ecosystems sustain life on Earth. While nature provides value, it is deteriorating globally – and under a business-as-usual scenario, this decline is expected to worsen. From December 7-19, the world will gather in Montreal for the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP15) to reach a landmark agreement to guide global action on biodiversity through 2030. The framework will require an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action across sectors to address key drivers of nature loss and ensure a shared vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.
The United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, led by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and their partners, covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. The global call for action will bring together political support, scientific research and financial strength to massively scale up the recovery.
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