Standardised Dugong Catch/By-catch Questionnaire Available Now

Abu Dhabi, 13 May 2010 – In most countries where dugongs and other marine mammals and sea turtles occur, numbers are small and believed to be declining. If we wait too long before initiating conservation actions, they will have disappeared before we get the data to understand the problem.

UNEP/CMS Office - Abu Dhabi, together with a group of the best available experts, has developed a tool called the Standardised Dugong Catch/Bycatch Questionnaire. The interview-based survey can be used to identify important dugong areas, as well as the threats to their existence. This survey is designed to collect data not only for dugongs, but also other  marine mammals and sea turtles . It can also be adapted for other species such as manatees. The conduct of standardized, culturally appropriate surveys which yield statistically robust results can be done quickly, efficiently and very cost-effectively.

We hope this questionnaire will be used in the spirit of regional cooperation and data sharing. We only ask, if you use the survey or refer to it, to share the results with us. The survey will enable future efforts to concentrate on action which ensures that there are dugongs, cetaceans, and sea turtles around for future generations.

Format citation to be used is:

UNEP/CMS 2010. Standardised Dugong Catch/By-catch Questionnaire. UNEP/CMS Dugong MoU. Abu Dhabi Office, United Arab Emirates, 2010.

Contact details:

Dr. Donna Kwan, Dugong Programme Officer, [email protected]
Dr. Nicolas Pilcher, Technical Advisor, [email protected]

Update: Dugong Questionnaire Survey Project Manual (June 2011) attached.