History and conservation status of the Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus in Hispaniola

Haydée M Domínguez Tejo

doi:10.1017/s0030605319000140

Haydée M Domínguez Tejo

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0030605319000140

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Abstract

AbstractTo summarize the state of knowledge of the Endangered Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus in Hispaniola, which comprises the Dominican Republic and Haiti, I reviewed documentary archives from pre-Columbian times to 2013. Manatees were historically abundant in Hispaniola but were hunted for centuries for their meat and other body parts for diverse uses. By the end of the 19th century manatees had become relatively rare around the island. Nevertheless, manatees remain widespread along the coast and occasionally occupy freshwater habitats in the Dominican Republic. In Haiti recent manatee sightings were restricted to two coastal areas. Currently, the manatee population of Hispaniola is perceived to be declining. The most commonly reported threats to the species include hunting, entanglement in fishing gear, boat strikes and disturbance by boat traffic, pollution, and habitat degradation and destruction. In the Dominican Republic longstanding national laws and international agreements protect the species and its habitat, and past conservation actions have raised public awareness about the status of the manatee. In Haiti knowledge of manatees is extremely limited and the species is not legally protected. I propose country-specific and binational recommendations to improve the contemporary conservation of manatees in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Highlights

The Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus, a herbivorous aquatic mammal, is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List
In addition to hunting and fisheries bycatch, manatees are subject to collisions with water craft, chemical and noise pollution, habitat degradation and habitat loss, among other threats, because they inhabit freshwater and shallow coastal marine environments heavily used by people (Reynolds & Marshall, ; Self-Sullivan & MignucciGiannoni, )
In most countries of the Wider Caribbean Region, remnant populations of the species are small and declining (UNEP, ). Such is the case for the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the island of Hispaniola, between Cuba and Puerto Rico (Fig. )

Summary

Introduction

The Antillean manatee Trichechus manatus manatus, a herbivorous aquatic mammal, is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List For the Dominican Republic, the first sighting was recorded in the log of Columbus during his first voyage to America, when he sighted three ‘sirens’ in January near Río Yaque del Norte, on the north-west coast (de Herrera y Tordesillas, ; de Charlevoix, ; Fernández de Navarrete, ; Hazard, ; de las Casas, ; Baughman, ; Husar, ) In his general history of the West Indies, Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés mentioned that manatees grazed on the banks of Río Ozama (the river that bisects Santo Domingo city), where many large manatees were harpooned from boats and canoes (Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, ).

From field work

Declining Declining Declining Declining Declining

Current threats

Legal status and conservation actions

Conservation recommendations