Dead dugong found washed ashore at Pulau Sibu

JOHOR BARU: A dead dugong was found washed ashore at Pulau Sibu on Thursday.
The dugong had injuries on its mouth and body, and is believed to have been caught in a fishing net before dying.
The carcass of the dugong was spotted by children from a nearby village on the island.
Upon being alerted by villagers, personnel from the Johor Marine Parks department retrieved the carcass and buried it at Pulau Tinggi.
Johor Health and Environment, Education and Information committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said he was saddened by the incident and added that a dugong sanctuary was needed to ensure the survival of the marine mammal found in the waters off Johor.
He said the state government had allocated RM1 million for the dugong sanctuary project to provide a safe haven and protect its seagrass habitats.
Ayub said the sanctuary will include 150,000 hectares of sea water off Pulau Sibu, Pulau Besar and Pulau Rawa.
The population of these marine mammals have been on the decline for some time due to pollution which has damaged seagrass, the primary source of food for dugongs.
Ayub said it is estimated that less than 100 dugongs remain in the waters off the east coast of Johor.