Bajau fishermen save rare dugong

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KOTA KINABALU: Local fishermen have saved an endangered dugong from certain death at the proposed Tun Mustapha Park near Pulau Banggi in northern Sabah.

The dugong was found in a net by Bajau fishermen within the marine sanctuary in Pulau Maliangin Kecil early on Tuesday morning.

The 1.5m-long female juvenile dugong was taken to Pulau Banggi and a rescue team from WWF-Malaysia – with advice from the Sabah Wildlife Department – later arranged for the dugong’s release back into the sea at Kg Pangasaan near Karakit, Banggi.

Catch and release: The dugong being released near Pulau Banggi in Kudat yesterday. The marine mammal was found in a net by a Bajau fisherman on Tuesday.

The marine mammal is a protected species and is rarely seen these days, but sightings of it were common in the past within the proposed Tun Mustapha Park.

Leela Rajamani, a dugong researcher with the Borneo Marine Research Institute in Universiti Malaysia Sabah, said Pulau Maliangin Kecil had been confirmed as a feeding ground for the mammals.

She said the discovery of the dugong further emphasises the importance of protecting the areas within the proposed park – including Maliangin.

Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Programme Team Leader in Kudat Robecca Jumin said the action taken by the fishermen showed that the local community was aware of the need to protect the animals.

“We hope they will continue to support the gazetting of the proposed Tun Mustapha Park so that they can reap the economic benefits of conserving biodiversity,” she said.