Decline in dugong population prompts calls for action in Gulf of Carpentaria
Fishing industry and Indigenous community leaders in Australia's north are calling for further investigation into why dugong numbers appear to have declined by 50 per cent in the Gulf of Carpentaria, and what can be done to stop it.
The commercial fishing industry in Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria has rejected calls for additional restrictions on gillnets following research revealing a 50% decline in dugong numbers. Indigenous and regional leaders are pushing for a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the population decline. Researchers from James Cook University and Charles Darwin University, working with Indigenous ranger groups, reported a 50% drop in dugong numbers in the Gulf from 2007 to 2025.
The scientists cited potential factors such as gillnet entanglements, boat strikes, and declining seagrass meadows as possible reasons for the decline. Some Indigenous ranger groups have called for expanded gillnet closures and an accelerated total ban on gillnets, which the Queensland fishing industry has rejected. Queensland Seafood Industry Association CEO David Bobberman stated that the industry is not responsible for the decline and urged the focus on other factors such as seagrass loss and climate change.
Indigenous leaders, however, argue that traditional hunting and poaching remain a concern, despite challenges in regulating and monitoring these activities. The Queensland government has received no reports of illegal dugong hunting or meat sales, while the Northern Territory Police have no active investigations into the illegal trade of dugong meat.
Both the fishing industry and Indigenous leaders are calling for increased government funding for further research and potential solutions to the declining dugong population.
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