The species has been added to the list of extinct species in China after the ocean’s beloved “sea cow” herbivores (Dugongs) have not been seen since 2008, according to research led by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Vulnerable to fishing, shipwreck and habitat loss in the region, these gentle giants were known to have declined in numbers after the 1970s and began to rapidly lose the battle against these threats.
The functional extinction of the dugongs (Dugong dugon) was announced in a paper published in the Royal Society Open Science, where researchers conducted extensive interviews with fishermen in four southern seaside provinces in China. The purpose of the study was to gather evidence of the likelihood of their survival in the area, with local people’s accounts of spotting them in the wild. However, the results were disappointing and no recent views were found.
“Through interview surveys, we gathered valuable information previously unavailable to make evidence-based assessments of the status of dugongs in the region,” said Heidi Ma, Postdoctoral Researcher at the ZSL Institute of Zoology. Not only does it demonstrate the usefulness of the information, it also helps us engage with local communities and explore possible causes of wildlife decline and possible solutions for mitigation.”
Researchers have found no recent evidence of dugong in Chinese waters that were once their home, although they found 66 communities in four provinces stretching from Hainan to Guangxi, Guangdong and Fujian. As such, he notes that dugongs are now functionally extinct in the region and therefore their status should be reassessed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct).
“The possible disappearance of the dugong in China is a devastating loss,” said co-author Professor Samuel Turvey. Turvey continued: “Their absence will not only have a knock-on effect on ecosystem function, but will also serve as a wake-up call – a sobering reminder that extinctions can occur before effective conservation actions can be developed.”
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