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Dominican Republic

Status and distribution

During pre-Columbian days manatees in the Dominican Republic were abundant enough to be used for food and have their bones built into icons (Belitsky and Belitsky 1980). However, numbers are now believed to be lower than in the past (Campbell and Irvine 1975 unpubl. report), which Belitsky and Belitsky attribute to hunting pressure and habitat degradation by land development.

Manatees are defined as coastal marine in the Dominican Republic, explained by the formation of sand bars at the mouths of rivers due to agricultural land preparation (Belitsky and Belitsky 1980). Individuals may occur in river mouths but stay in the proximity of fresh water (Campbell and Irvine 1975 unpubl. report) and frequent the upwellings at Tres Hermanas, La Guazuma and Saledilla Beach (Belitsky and Belitsky 1980). Manatees are sighted most often in the northern and southwestern portions of Dominican Republic. Suitable habitat in the southeastern portion of the Dominican Republic is scarce. Husar (1977), Campbell and Irvine (1975 unpubl. report), and Belitsky and Belitsky (1980) identified important manatee areas: Tres Hermanas, Las Terrenas, Monte Cristi, and Las Calderas Lagoon in the northern coast, and Bahia de Ocoa and Bahia de Neiba in the southwest coast. Also cited were the proximity of Boca de Yuma on the east coast south to Saona Island, Nizao in the south, coastal waters between Beata Island and the mainland, and Pedernales in the southwest, and rivers Masacre, Yaque del Norte, San Juan, Bajabonico Isabela and Yaque del Sur (Belitsky and Belitsky 1980). Additional areas include Playa Grande, Playa de Rincón, Bahía de Rincón, Río Caño del Água, Río Cosón, Arroyo Cañada Salada, La Poza, Bahía de Manzanillo, Los Patos, Bahía Regalada, Estero Hondo, Punta Rucia, Bahía de Yuma (Lefebvre et al. 1989).

Six comprehensive bimonthly aerial surveys were conducted in 1977 along the coast and over rivers, lagoons and estuaries. The maximum count was 41 manatees, with a mean number per flight of 12.3 in the north and 7.5 in the south, and an estimated 60 total population between Manzanillo and Pedernales. Primary areas of distribution were between Manzanillo and Miches (north coast) and between Ocoa Bay and Beata Island (south coast), with a single sighting northwest of Saona Island (southeast coast). Foci of manatee presence were coastal waters near Monte Cristi and bays of Samana, Ocoa and Neiba (Belitsky and Belitsky 1980).

Major threats and conservation problems

Poaching and shark predation were cited during interviews as causes of manatee mortality, although the latter may represent scavenging (Belitsky and Belitsky 1980). Although fishermen are aware of the legislation, in Azua they admitted catching manatee opportunistically and selling the meat in local markets. Given the difficulty to find and catch manatees, the number poached yearly is estimated to be small (Campbell and Irvine 1975 unpubl. report). Three episodes of net entanglement were reported near Nizao (Belitsky and Belitsky 1980). Manatees are frequently seen and occasionally accidentally caught in fishing nets in Bahia de Samaná (Lefebvre et al. 1989). A few instances of collisions with boats have been reported (Secretaria de Estado de Agricultura 1993 unpubl. report).

National legislation and conservation measures

Manatees in the Dominican Republic are protected by Ley de Pesca 5914 (article 45) of 1962, and the country has been a signatory of CITES since 1987 (Secretaria de Estado de Agricultura 1993 unpubl. report). However, Dominican Republic has not yet signed the SPAW Protocol. In the past year, Prospectiva Ambiental Dominicana, a non-governmental organization, has been developing a Project of Conservation of Manatees and Sea Turtles which includes field and aerial surveys, collection of sighting data and manatee carcasses, and distribution of educational posters (P. Brandy 1993 in litt., Secretaria de Estado de Agricultura 1993 unpubl. report).

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