Dugong caught and sold by local fishermen’s to a Chinese Hardware in Gizo Town over the weekend. Photo source, social media

AN incident of a dugong killed on Saturday and sold to a Chinese business in Gizo is raising queries over the Marine Conservation laws of Solomon Islands.

Indigenous locals from Western Province are questioning why there has been no arrest done over such practice as they understand that it is against the Marine laws to catch and kill dugongs as they are an endangered species.

According to concerned locals, it is the Gizo Marine Conservation and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Western Province who should be doing their job to protect such illegal practices from occurring. Thus, their capability is being questioned.

“For a province trying to promote tourism, such continuous practice will not be good for its image,” they said.

Gizo Acting Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Vincent Eria yesterday said he was shocked to hear of such activity taking place but said that it is the Marine Conservation Officers’ duty to take action over such issue.

“Unless they make a call for us to make arrests, we cannot take any action whatsoever at this stage, therefore, we will only be waiting for their call,” said the Acting PPC.

According to research, Dugongs used to be hunted but the population has now decreased. Now there is the rule not to catch it as it is one of the endangered species.

People say Dugong meat tastes the same as baby cow and that is why they catch it for food.

Nevertheless, humans should not catch Dugongs as they are disappearing.

Attempts to catch up with the Gizo Marine Conservation Office at Nusatupe Island near Gizo were not successful yesterday.

An attempt to catch up with Officers at the WWF in Gizo was not also successful yesterday because of the Easter Monday public holiday.