Historical information suggests that in the past dugongs (Dugong dugon) were plentiful and widely distributed along the Mozambique coast, with known hotspots at Cabo Delgado province (Pemba and Quirimbas archipelago), Nampula... [ view full abstract ]
Historical information suggests that in the past dugongs (Dugong dugon) were plentiful and widely distributed along the Mozambique coast, with known hotspots at Cabo Delgado province (Pemba and Quirimbas archipelago), Nampula (Angoche, Mozambique Island and Nacala), Inhambane (Bazaruto archipelago, Pomene, Chidenguele and Inhambane Bay) and Maputo bay (Inhaca Island). However, before any status of protection was given to this species in the country, dugongs were deliberately hunted for their meat, mainly over the 70’s – 80’s, causing most of these populations to dwindle over the years. Today, the largest and possibly the last viable population of dugongs in Mozambique coast and East Africa is found in Bazaruto archipelago (from Save river mouth to Cabo São Sebastião) with approximately 250 individuals.
Although many coastal communities don’t understand the conservation status of this protected species and in most of the past hotspots dugongs are hardly seen, the local perceptions and traditional knowledge about the ecosystem functioning and importance of the habitats they depend on for fisheries, specially the seagrasses, are very important for developing a conservation strategy that will effectively protect dugongs and its foraging habitat.
A scoping study of cultural values, conducted under the Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project, aimed at proving an overview of the historical and recent interactions of local communities with the dugongs in the main past and current dugong hotspots in Mozambique coast, including their perceptions about the dugong conservation status, local traditions, stories and beliefs related to dugongs and seagrasses.
Topics: Conservation and management of tropical marine ecosystems , Topics: Culture and the marine environment , Topics: Participation in marine conservation science (e.g. citizen and indigenous science)
