The Wire

Dugongs are large marine mammals that live around the north coast of Australia. They are protected but some aboriginal communities are still permitted to hunt them with harpoons. But according to a Northern Territory fisherman who spoke out today, that hunting is getting a bit out of hand. He says dugongs could now be under greater threat than whales. Dr Peter Mawson, Principle Zoologist with the Western Australia Department of Environment and Conservation, works with dugong populations off the coast of WA. He says it is a problem but it is not just aborigional people doing the hunting.