Sanctuary plans for sea cows in Johor
The dugong population in the waters off Johor was estimated at 40 to 50, while Sabah and Sarawak have about 20 to 30 of them.
MERSING: The islands off Mersing -- Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Besar and Pulau Sibu -- are not only famed for their lush vegetation and golden beaches but also their rich underwater flora and fauna.
Above all, their crystal clear waters are known to house Peninsular Malaysia’s only habitat for the endangered dugong.
In a bid to conserve this fast disappearing species, plans are afoot to set up a dugong sanctuary in eastern Johor.
International environmental bodies are also lending a helping hand to Malaysian authorities in its efforts to prevent this rather unique sea mammal, also known as the sea cow, from becoming extinct.
According to statistics provided by the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, the dugong population in the waters off Johor was estimated at 40 to 50, while Sabah and Sarawak have about 20 to 30 of them.
MareCet -- a local marine life conservation non-governmental organisation -- co-founder and chairman Dr Louisa Ponnampalam said based on research and aerial surveys her organisation has been carrying out since 2010, the eastern islands off Mersing in the South China Sea were found to be the main habitat for Johor’s dugongs.
“Our research in the Mersing waters, Tanjung Leman and the eastern islands off Mersing (Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Besar and Pulau Sibu) showed that Pulau Sibu and Pulau Tinggi have the highest concentration of dugongs. In fact, in the waters here alone there are some 20 dugongs swimming around,” said Louisa, who is also a fellow researcher at Universiti Malaya’s Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences.
She said although research indicated that Johor’s dugong colony was currently at the healthy and reproductive stage, it was unfortunate that a good part of their habitat did not fall within the protected zones of the Johor state marine parks and the Sultan Iskandar Marine Park (TLSI).
“According to our research, the female dugongs and their calves in the Pulau Sibu-Tinggi area are all outside the protected zone. The entire area where they are found should be protected, otherwise the dugongs and their seagrass ecosystem are at risk of being destroyed by human activities,” she added.
As seagrass is the main source of nourishment for dugongs, protecting the underwater seagrass beds is of paramount importance to ensure the continued survival of these creatures.
Seagrass beds also serve as nurseries for a diverse range of commercially important marine species that humans all over the world consume.
Currently, the waters surrounding 42 islands in Malaysia have been gazetted as marine parks under the Fisheries Act 1985 and they are governed by the Department of Marine Parks Malaysia. Most of these parks, including those in Johor, cover a zone of two nautical miles from the lowest sea level.
Johor has 13 marine parks, including the Pulau Besar, Pulau Tinggi and Pulau Sibu Marine Parks.
On the other hand, TLSI, which was opened in July last year, is operated by the Johor National Parks Corporation. Encompassing Pulau Aur, Pulau Besar, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Rawa, Pulau Tinggi and Pulau Sibu, TLSI covers a zone of up to three nautical miles, instead of two nautical miles as is the norm with other marine parks.
Fishing and all kinds of activities that damage the marine biological ecosystem are prohibited at all the marine parks concerned.
In view of MareCet’s findings that Johor’s dugong and seagrass habitats were situated outside the protected zones of its marine parks, the state authorities have decided to establish a sanctuary to protect their natural terrain.
The proposed dugong sanctuary, expected to cover an area of about 150,000 hectares in the waters of Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Sibu and Pulau Besar, will be jointly managed by the state and federal authorities.
The state authorities, as well as the Department of Fisheries and Department of Marine Parks, had collaborated with MareCet, researchers from local universities and other stakeholders, including the local community, to determine the delineation of the sanctuary’s protected zone.
State Health and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said under Johor’s FiveYear Plan, the state had approved an allocation of RM1 million last year for a feasibility study on the gazetting and management of the proposed dugung sanctuary.
The development of the delineation and management plans, as well as the placement of buoys to demarcate the boundary of the sanctuary were completed last year, he said, adding that the sanctuary was expected to be ready sometime this year.
Last August, Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar signed a plaque for the Dugong Sanctuary Monument situated on Pulau Sibu and also pinned its location on Google Map.
Ayub also said that a Dugong Sanctuary Management Plan was currently being drafted by MareCet to ensure that the state’s dugong habitats would not be jeopardised by tourism activities.
Under the plan, a zoning system would be introduced, with dugong breeding and feeding habitats being declared “no-take” zones. (No-take zones are part of larger protected areas on both land and open water where activities like fishing, hunting, logging, mining and drilling are not allowed).
“Certain types of activities may be allowed in other zones, together with guidelines agreed upon by all the stakeholders.
“We need to have this zoning system because the waters surrounding the islands off Mersing are important to the local people’s economy and, at the same time, we also have to make sure that the dugong habitats remain protected,” he added.
Besides the state government’s efforts to conserve Johor’s dugong and seagrass habitats, global bodies are also contributing to the good cause.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF), in partnership with the Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project, has allocated US$414,677 (RM1,840,750) for five projects to be carried out over three years, starting September last year.
(The GEF -- a partnership of 18 international agencies -- works with partners to tackle the planet’s biggest environmental issues, while the Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project is the first coordinated global effort to conserve dugongs and their seagrass habitats in eight countries in the Indo-Pacific region, including Malaysia).
Four of the projects are based in Pulau Tinggi and Pulau Sibu while the fifth is based in the Bay of Brunei in Lawas, Sarawak.
The revised National Policy on Biological Diversity (2016-2025), which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last February, also touches on the importance of conserving seagrass beds to ensure the survival of dugongs and sea turtles.
The Department of Fisheries Malaysia has also prepared a National Plan of Action for the Management and Conservation of Dugongs in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Malaysia is expected to participate at the Third Meeting of Signatories to the Dugong MoU that will take place on March 13 and 14 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Dugong MoU is a legally non-binding instrument under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species, with 26 signatories currently. This gathering highlights the important role dugongs play in the culture and livelihood of many coastal communities and how their conservation would benefit marine biodiversity. - Bernama