Piloting community incentive schemes to reduce bycatch of dugongs in artisanal fisheries g g

Patricia Z R Davis Ismael Leandre & Chris Poonian Z.R Davis, Community Centred Conservation (C3)

Summary
Global and regional overview : status & threats Dugongs without Borders project Potential conservation strategies 1) Spatial management conflict hotspots 2) Incentivizing fisher decision-making processes What future for the dugong?

Dugongs
Only herbivorous marine mammal Dependent on shallow seagrass habitat Slow reproduction Deliberate hunting for meat and oil d il Easy to exploit -inhabits shallow coastal waters -slow-moving l i -big and tasty

Threats
Hunting capacity greatly increased as technology improved Accidental bycatch especially in gillnets Habitat destruction as a result of growing coastal populations

Global distribution

Insert map of global distribution from Marsh et al 2002

Study sites
Union of the Comoros
Grande Comore, Anjouan, Moheli 2006 - present

Northern Madagascar g
2009 present

Considerations Remote fi ld sites R t field it Limited infrastructure (roads, communications, medical facilities) Politically unstable (coups in Comoros 2008, Madagascar 2009)
Extremely limited technical and financial resources

Dugongs without Borders

Community Centred Conservation started dugong research in the WIO region 5 years ago, originally in Comoros now collaborations throughout region Methodology developed in collaboration with Project GloBAL (Duke) and refined for dugong focussed work for Convention dugong-focussed on Migratory Species dugong secretariat p protocol based on : Rapid assessment p 1) Semi-structured fisher interviews 2) Key informant interviews 3) Habitat mapping ) pp g Identification of conflict hotspots between dugong habitat and fishing grounds Targeting limited funds into conservation actions in critical areas and issues

Key findings
Dugong populations declined so much since 1980s that deliberate hunting was no longer viable Main causes of mortality nowadays bycatch in gillnets Species important in traditional culture - Preparation of meat - Myths - Sexual relations

Spatial management conflict hotspots

Interviewing fishers p g Conflict hotspot management

Participatory high-resolution mapping of fishing grounds at hotspots Gillnet restrictions at hotspots Difficulties in enforcement
-Community based y -Migrant fishers -Urgency of situation

Interviewing fishers Incentivizing fisher decision-making g g

Release Alive Dugong in net Eat Dead

Community incentives piloted so far

Current incentives schemes in the region coordinated th di t d through l h local C l Conservation ti Officers & dugong researchers: Tanzania for reporting bycatch (payment on recovery of carcass by researchers)

i)

ii) M Mozambique compensation f net damage bi ti for t d (entanglement) & attempted release (cutting nets to free live animals)

Considerations
Participatory consultations p y with all stakeholders Clear monitoring indicators tied to financial incentive scheme that benefits and involves whole community Long-term process in terms of monitoring success and adapting model if required f

What future for the dugong?

The dugongs future remains critical at the regional level and th species will b regionally extinct l l d the i ill be i ll ti t within our lifetime if action is not urgently taken However, given low overall dependence on dugongs (economically and nutritionally) communities really do have an interest in conserving this traditionally-important species Thus community incentive programmes may be the key to the species survival

For further information:

Moore JE, Cox TM, Lewison RL, Read AJ, Bjorkland R, McDonald SL, Crowder LB, Aruna E, Ayissi I, Espeut P, Joynson-Hicks C, Pilcher N, Poonian CNS, Solarin B, and Kiszka J (2010) AN INTERVIEW-BASED APPROACH TO ASSESS MARINE MAMMAL AND SEA TURTLE CAPTURES IN ARTISANAL FISHERIES Biological Conservation C3 Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands Programme (2010) RAPID ASSESSMENT OF DUGONGS AND THEIR SEAGRASS HABITAT IN NORTHERN MADAGASCAR A MADAGASCAR. Report Submitted to the Convention On Migratory Species Of Wild Animals (CMS) Secretariat, Abu Dhabi. C3 Technical Report Series No. 6. ISSN 1754-5188. Community Centred Conservation (C3), London, UK. 19pp C3 Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands Programme (2010) STUDY TO CONFIRM THE EXISTENCE OR EXTINCTION OF DUGONGS IN THE WATERS OF MAURITIUS. A Report Submitted to the Convention On Migratory Species Of Wild Animals (CMS) Secretariat, Abu Dhabi.12pp Kiszka J, Muir M, Poonian C, Cox T, Amir OA, Bourjea J, Razafindrakoto Y, Wambiji N, Bristol N (2008) MARINE MAMMAL BYCATCH IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN: REVIEW AND NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE STATUS ASSESSMENT. Western Indian Ocean J. Mar. Sci. 7:119136

For further information:

Poonian CNS , Hauzer MD , Ben Allaoui A, Cox TM, Moore JE, Read AJ, Lewison RL, Crowder LB (2008) RAPID ASSESSMENT OF SEA TURTLE AND MARINE MAMMAL BYCATCH IN THE UNION OF THE COMOROS. Western Indian Ocean J. Mar. Sci. 7:207216. 7 207 216 Kiszka JJ, Muir CE, Amir OA, Drouot-Dulau V, Poonian C, Razafindrakoto Y,Wambiji N (2008) INCIDENTAL CATCH OF MARINE MAMMALS IN THE SOUTHWEST INDIAN OCEAN: A PRELIMINARY REVIEW. International Whaling Commission Report SC/60/SM13 Davis PZR, Poonian CNS (2007) INCIDENTAL CAPTURE OF THE DUGONG, DUGONG DUGON IN GILLNETS, MOHLI, UNION OF THE COMOROS. In Kiska J, Muir C (Eds) 1st R i 1 t Regional Workshop on Incidental Catches of Non-targeted Marine Species in the lW k h I id t l C t h fN t t dM i S i i th Western Indian Ocean, Workshop proceeding. 13-15th November 2006, Mayotte, France. Haskins G & Davis P (2008) HAS THE DUGONG GONE THE WAY OF THE DODO? Sirenews 49:16-17. Parent S, Poonian C (2009) DUGONGS WITHOUT BORDERS. SeagrassWatch Magazine 39:15

Thanks, Marahaba, Thanks Marahaba Misaotra!