Dugongs in Kenya – a survey on status and Trends

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess Dugongs' status distribution of dugongs (Dugong dugon) in Kenya. A dugong is a herbivorous marine mammal of the tropical and subtropical Indo-West Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Globally, IUCN classified the Dugong as rare; Kenya has done the same under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013, thus making Dugongs a conservation priority. The study's main objective was to assess dugongs' distribution and status for conservation in Kenya since the 1960s.
 Methodology: The study employed a concurrent triangulation design to corroborate findings from three methods. The study used a literature review, semi-structured questionnaires, guided interviews, and focus group discussions with respondents on obtaining socio-economic data. Data was collected in fishing villages with documented and or anecdotal records of the availability of dugongs. Experiences 378 fishers were reached for the study. The study aggregated the number of dugongs sited by decades from the six sampled study sites and presented the data on a line graph. Further, the study computed the rate of change in dugongs from one decade to the next.
 Findings: More than 100 dugongs occurred in the Kenyan waters in the 1960s; their population has declined considerably since then. The dugong habitat and feeding area have also shrunk over the same period, further aggravating the situation. There were more than thirty known dugong feeding areas in the study areas; only 10 of them are still known to host dugongs. An estimated 20 dugongs are known to be present in the Kenyan marine waters in the current times.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study confirmed the presence of dugongs in Kenya. Further, the dugong numbers are very small, thus showing an urgent need for their conservation. Dugongs are found in Kiunga and Kisite Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and their immediate surroundings; this amplifies the conservation value of the MPAs.

The viability of seagrass ecosystems for supporting dugong recovery in Kenya

“…Anthropogenic and natural threats were identified that result in the degradation of seagrass meadows and thus affect dugong distribution and recovery. Human activities related to fishing practices were observed to that takes into consideration the protection and management of marine mammals inclusive of dugongs (Awadh et al, 2021;Samoilys et al, 2017). Protected areas had higher densities of seagrasses with greater diversity compared to unrestricted areas.…”

“…None of the species is widespread, with all limited to the tropics except for Zostera spp. (Awadh et al, 2021).…”