ABC News 5 Feb 08;
A Northern Territory fisherman says all Australians should be concerned about the impact of Indigenous hunting on dugong stocks.
Commercial barramundi fisherman Peter Manning says independent analysis is needed to assess the long-term sustainability of harpooning dugongs.
Aboriginal communities in northern Australia are allowed to hunt dugongs with harpoons for cultural reasons.
But Mr Manning says the impact of the hunt is not being regularly and independently monitored.
He says the last survey of Indigenous marine harvesting six years ago estimated 1,600 dugongs were killed annually in northern waters.
And he says dugongs could now be under greater threat than whales hunted by Japanese ships in the Southern Ocean.
"Whether it's because it's an Indigenous fishery and they don't want to upset people ... regardless of who it is, there needs to be management so that we know exactly what's been taken, and whether that amount is sustainable or not," he said.
"Some places are getting depleted. Every time people have trouble traditionally going to catch dugong, they usually blame the commercial fishermen.
"But we have done our bit to try and help not catch these species, so I just don't see how it can sustain such levels.
"We should have a monitoring program so they know exactly how many are being taken, whether they have been male or female, the size and so on.
"People in the south of Australia just don't realise that we have these animals here and they are being taken."
Mr Manning says Indigenous harvesting should be subject to the same scrutiny as commercial and recreational fishing.
"Previously there had been a big kill down the McArthur River," he said.
"I think it was 27 a few years ago, and as an industry we had to do something about that.
"Because they're a protected species, and as I say, very slow breeding and they need to be looked after."
But Northern Territory Environment Minister Len Kiely says there is no reason to be alarmed over Indigenous catches of dugongs.
He says a new survey of dugongs is underway to update the figures from the 2002 survey.
"Staff in the marine biodiversity section of my department are currently working with the James Cook University on an aerial survey of numbers of dugongs in northern waters," he said.
"This project will enable us to get clear scientific data to assist [study of] harvest and entanglement impacts."
"We are looking at sustainability into the future ... we'll have a look at the data and see just what it implies, and from there we will work out any plans that we have to. We always talk to all stakeholders."
