Page "Dugong" Paragraph 2

The dugong has been hunted for thousands of years for its meat and oil.

Traditional hunting has great cultural significance throughout its range.

The dugong's current distribution is reduced and disjunct, and many populations are close to extinction.

The IUCN lists the dugong as a species vulnerable to extinction, while the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species limits or bans the trade of derived products.

Despite being legally protected in many countries, the main causes of population decline remain anthropogenic and include hunting, habitat degradation, and fishing-related fatalities.

With its long lifespan of 70 years or more, and slow rate of reproduction, the dugong is especially vulnerable to extinction.