Seagrass, dugong, and people: Lessons learned from community-based conservation in Tolitoli Regency, Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia

Abstract

Dugong (Dugong dugon) is a protected mammal in Indonesia. Hunting for dugongs is still very high, so that the status of this animal is threatened, one of which is in Tolitoli Regency, Central Sulawesi. Hence, conservation efforts need to be carried out, both species and habitat area. Based on observation and interviews, dugong conservation in Tolitoli Regency was community-based habitat management. Kelompok Masyarakat Pengawas or Monitoring Community Group (Pokmaswas) was a form of community-based management in charge of maintaining, protecting, and preserving the existence of dugong and seagrass protection. From a community perspective, significant indicators in the management of dugong habitats were community awareness, seagrass percentage, and management quality. There was 11 kind of seagrass species have been identified in Tolitoli Regency. Seagrass conditions in all three villages were characterized by less than 60% of seagrass cover, especially seagrass that was close to the shoreline. The appearance of dugongs is based not only on good seagrass conditions but also on sea conditions and ship traffic.