Study: dugongs became extinct in China

The dugong, a marine mammal that lived in China’s southern waters for hundreds of years, is now considered extinct in the country.

A study by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that fishing, ship collisions and human-caused habitat loss have led to a rapid decline in the number of dugongs in Chinese waters since the 1970s.

The report states that “this is the first functional extinction of a large mammal in China’s coastal waters.” Researchers have not recorded dugongs off the coast of China since 2008.

The dugong, which relies heavily on seagrass for its diet, has been classified by the State Council of China as a Grade I Protected Key Animal since 1988.

Their marine habitat was quickly destroyed by humans, and while recovery and restoration efforts are a key priority in China, “recovery takes time that dugongs may no longer have,” the report says.

Found in coastal waters from East Africa to Vanuatu and northern Japan, these gentle mammals are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Professor Samuel Turvey of the ZSL Institute of Zoology, co-author of the study, said the likely extinction of dugongs in China was a huge loss.

“Their absence would not only have an indirect impact on ecosystem function, but would also serve as a wake-up call — a sobering reminder that extinction could occur before effective conservation measures are in place.”

The study was conducted by a team of international scientists who surveyed 66 fishing communities in four Chinese provinces along the coast of the South China Sea. The authors said they would welcome any evidence that dugongs may still exist in China.