“The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the Anthropocene
In the Spermonde as in the other main island groups around Sulawesi, seagrass and coral ecosystems are intimately linked ecologically and overlap extensively on the shallow water shelves surrounding most islands. One keystone species living in these shallow waters is the dugong (Dugong dugon). Offic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00284/full |
| _version_ | 1819266879527583744 |
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| author | Abigail M. Moore Rohani Ambo-Rappe Yusuf Ali |
| author_facet | Abigail M. Moore Rohani Ambo-Rappe Yusuf Ali |
| author_sort | Abigail M. Moore |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the Spermonde as in the other main island groups around Sulawesi, seagrass and coral ecosystems are intimately linked ecologically and overlap extensively on the shallow water shelves surrounding most islands. One keystone species living in these shallow waters is the dugong (Dugong dugon). Officially fully protected under Indonesian Law (PP7/1999), published data on dugongs in the islands around Sulawesi are extremely limited. In this research, we collected, compiled and evaluated data and information (mostly unpublished) on the distribution, exploitation and community perceptions of dugongs around Sulawesi, including the Togean, Banggai, Spermonde, Taka Bone Rate/Selayar, and Tanakeke Islands. Opportunities for dugong conservation, and potential benefits for coral reef ecosystems in a small island socio-ecological context, were considered. Once common within living memory, socio-economic data indicate that Sulawesi dugongs are now rare and under severe threat. Many fishing communities consider dugong meat superior to beef, and see it as a welcome change from fish, while certain body parts fetch a high price, as do dugong tears. In the Spermonde Islands, dugongs may already have been extirpated; the most recent reported sighting was in 1993 when the capture of an adult dugong by fishermen of Barranglompo Island resulted in an impromptu festival. All these Sulawesi small islands communities have dugong princess (putri duyung) legends with potential as an entry-point to hearts and minds. Preventing further extirpations and striving to bring back the “lost princess” could be an iconic component of moving toward sustainability in small-island socio-ecological systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:08:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4af323a24aa466fba6aa054e7f8df2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:08:17Z |
| publishDate | 2017-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4af323a24aa466fba6aa054e7f8df2e2022-12-21T17:31:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452017-09-01410.3389/fmars.2017.00284250847“The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the AnthropoceneAbigail M. Moore0Rohani Ambo-Rappe1Yusuf Ali2Doctoral Program in Fisheries Science, Faculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin UniversityMakassar, IndonesiaFaculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin UniversityMakassar, IndonesiaFaculty of Marine Science and Fisheries, Hasanuddin UniversityMakassar, IndonesiaIn the Spermonde as in the other main island groups around Sulawesi, seagrass and coral ecosystems are intimately linked ecologically and overlap extensively on the shallow water shelves surrounding most islands. One keystone species living in these shallow waters is the dugong (Dugong dugon). Officially fully protected under Indonesian Law (PP7/1999), published data on dugongs in the islands around Sulawesi are extremely limited. In this research, we collected, compiled and evaluated data and information (mostly unpublished) on the distribution, exploitation and community perceptions of dugongs around Sulawesi, including the Togean, Banggai, Spermonde, Taka Bone Rate/Selayar, and Tanakeke Islands. Opportunities for dugong conservation, and potential benefits for coral reef ecosystems in a small island socio-ecological context, were considered. Once common within living memory, socio-economic data indicate that Sulawesi dugongs are now rare and under severe threat. Many fishing communities consider dugong meat superior to beef, and see it as a welcome change from fish, while certain body parts fetch a high price, as do dugong tears. In the Spermonde Islands, dugongs may already have been extirpated; the most recent reported sighting was in 1993 when the capture of an adult dugong by fishermen of Barranglompo Island resulted in an impromptu festival. All these Sulawesi small islands communities have dugong princess (putri duyung) legends with potential as an entry-point to hearts and minds. Preventing further extirpations and striving to bring back the “lost princess” could be an iconic component of moving toward sustainability in small-island socio-ecological systems.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00284/fullendangered species exploitationSireniatropical small island ecosystemslocal knowledge and perceptionflagship speciesfolklore |
| spellingShingle | Abigail M. Moore Rohani Ambo-Rappe Yusuf Ali “The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the Anthropocene Frontiers in Marine Science endangered species exploitation Sirenia tropical small island ecosystems local knowledge and perception flagship species folklore |
| title | “The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the Anthropocene |
| title_full | “The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the Anthropocene |
| title_fullStr | “The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the Anthropocene |
| title_full_unstemmed | “The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the Anthropocene |
| title_short | “The Lost Princess (putri duyung)” of the Small Islands: Dugongs around Sulawesi in the Anthropocene |
| title_sort | the lost princess putri duyung of the small islands dugongs around sulawesi in the anthropocene |
| topic | endangered species exploitation Sirenia tropical small island ecosystems local knowledge and perception flagship species folklore |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00284/full |
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