Photo credit: Ministry of Environment and Climate Change on X.
DOHA: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MECC) has announced the detection of two dugong deaths on the beaches.
Initial assessments indicate the two creatures may have been entangled in fishing nets.
The Ministry confirmed that a team from the Department of Wildlife Development has begun investigating and is collecting the necessary samples to examine the causes accurately.
The ministry noted that potential causes of marine life deaths, such as dugongs, include collisions with boats or fishing vessels. The Ministry called on fishermen and seafarers to adhere to environmental guidelines that contribute to the protection of marine life.
This includes reducing boat speed in areas where marine organisms such as dugongs, dolphins, and turtles are found, using sustainable fishing gear, avoiding throwing nets or waste into the sea, and immediately reporting any marine organisms caught in a fishing net, dead on the beach, or floating in the water by contacting the Ministry’s hotline 16066. The Ministry emphasized the importance of joint efforts to protect marine ecosystems and maintain their balance, noting the key role played by society in reducing the risks threatening marine life.
The Ministry observed significant movements of dugong herds during the winter, specifically from January to March, particularly in the country’s coastal areas, stressing the implementation of periodic monitoring operations and the need to oblige seafarers and fishermen to follow the guidelines for protecting endangered species.
Manatees are herbivorous marine mammals that inhabit warm coastal waters, feeding primarily on seagrasses. Qatar has the second largest concentration of these creatures in the world after Australia, with its waters hosting large numbers of them, especially in the seagrass-rich areas of the Arabian Gulf.
