Mandy Etpison, who coordinates the 2010 Palau Dugong Awareness Campaign on behalf of the French Embassy said that in January there was a report of dead dugong being cut up by Palauans at the Ngardmau Dock.
The second incident was that on March 6, kayakers camping on Ngeremdiu beach reported a dead juvenile dugong floating and that craters along the beach indicated illegal dynamite use in the area.
The latest death was a floating dugong found in Mekeald area in Koror, on April 2.
Etpison said that the dugong was spotted by Palau Helicopter pilot Matt.
The dead dugong was brought in by the boat to the Neco Marine dock and reported to the Koror State Rangers Bureau of Marine Resources.
The Koror State veterinarian Mihnea Muresanu with the assistance of the Civic Action Team medic and the Coral Reef Foundation conducted a necropsy on the animal.
According to the report the cause of death is believed to be heart failure caused by explosives thrown in the water nearby.
The necropsy also noted that the animal had dead for at least two days.
Etpison in a statement said that she hopes “the authorities continue to sample and examine future confiscated or reported dugongs and that they will address the urgent problem of illegal dynamite use which is more common in Palau than people realize.”
She added that dynamite not only causes harm to the highly endangered dugong population in Palau but also to coral reefs and wrappings from dynamite have been found on Rock Island beaches.
Etpison said that the brand of the dynamite is imported from the Philippines and was reportedly used in the past by Daewoo and currently by at least one local quarry.
She also noted that locals still target dugongs for food by either spearing them or throwing dynamite.
Etpisom said that the dugongs are endangered and has a very small population in Palau which is believed to be less than 200 needs to be protected.
She said that under the law there is a fine of $5,000 to $20,000 for killing a dugong.
“I was surprised to find out some Palauans are still using dynamite at all. Someone using dynamite cannot call himself a real fisherman in my opinion and this type of fishing has no place in modern day Palau, which depends on healthy coral reefs for its tourism industry,” she said.
