64 Australian Geographic
Strait Islander languages have several names for
dugongs at various stages of development. On
Mabuiag Island in Torres Strait, for example,
there are at least 17 dif erent terms to describe
them, including garkadanbgal (male dugong),
ipikadangal (female dugong), kazilaig (pregnant
dugong) and gilab (large old dugong).
“Indigenous people have always had a very
close relationship with dugongs; historically
and traditionally treating them, as well as other
forms of mega marine life like turtles, as kin – as
one of their own,” explains Joe Morrison, CEO
of the North Australian Indigenous Land andSea Management Alliance, based in Darwin,
Northern Territory.
This cultural connection is linked to the
fact that dugong has long been a food for many
northern communities. There is evidence, for
example from the Torres Strait, that dugongs
have been harvested for at least 4000 years.
Dugong meat is still an important protein source
for many remote communities near northern
Australian waters. These animals continue to
be hunted legally for non- commercial purposes
in these areas by indigenous Australians using
traditional methods, under state and federal
native title legislation.
It’s been a controversial practice over recent
years and one that periodically receives media
attention in response to concerns raised by ani-
mal rights and welfare activists. In 2004 Helene
lent her voice, co-authoring two papers that sug-
gested the Torres Strait dugong catch was not
sustainable. Her position has since shifted. “I’ve
changed my mind,” she says. “We’ve got new data
now: Torres Strait has very signifi cant numbers
and a signifi cant harvest is probably sustainable.”
Nevertheless, the mid-2000s controversy
helped generate some positive outcomes across
northern indigenous communities, spurring
many to step up monitoring and management
of dugongs and other marine resources in their
jurisdictions. “We’ve always taken the view that,
at the end of the day, it’s indigenous people that
have the most to lose if species that are culturally
signifi cant for people go extinct,” says Joe.
It’s becoming clear that modern conservationscience can learn from indigenous culture when
it comes to dugongs. In late 2012, Bardi Jawa
rangers, one of 14 such groups within the Kim-
berley Land Council, travelled to Abu Dhabi
to share their skills at catching and tagging
dugongs. This is where the biggest population
outside of Australia survives and the exercise
saw satellite tags successfully fi tted to three
dugongs so their movements in the Persian
Gulf could be tracked by conservation scientists.
More recently the Torres Strait Regional
Authority’s Land and Sea Management Unit
took out the 2013 Banksia Gold Award forsustainable environmental programs, largely
based on its approach to dugong management
that embraces a traditional indigenous harvest.T
HESE DAYS a growing body of evidence
suggests dugongs are most at risk from
the threats that come with living near
the country’s busiest urban coastal areas. Here,
as Janet’s research is beginning to show, it’s likely
dugongs are af ected by pollution run-of from
the land, and the creatures’ slow-swimming
ways place them at risk from deadly strikes by
boats. But, as is the case for most vulnerable
species, habitat loss is the most enduring story
for the seagrass-specialist mammals.
Over in the country’s west, it appears that
a new chapter of this story is being written.
In the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, it’s
long been thought that the world’s second-
largest dugong population, 10,000-strong,
was secure. But alarm bells have been sound-
ing since the 2010–11 summer, when heatwave
conditions saw west coast water temperatures
rise to unprecedented levels.
“It hit some of the seagrass pretty hard,”
says Dave Holley. “We’re now keeping a
watching brief [for the consequences].” If
such events recur, as they’re predicted to do as
a result of climate change, the long-term
impacts could be devastating for Australia’s
dugong populations. AG“It’s indigenous people that have the most to
lose if culturally significant species go extinct.”
SEE more dugong images at: http://www.australian-
geographic.com.au/journal/issue118.htm