"Urban development, fishing impacts and hunting are some factors, but remember indigenous people have a right to hunt and people in Torres Strait Islands have been harvesting dugongs for 4000 years," Helene Marsh, professor of environmental science at James Cook University, said.

"The Australian government has invested large amounts of money in the indigenous ranger programs, and they not only provide valuable training and employment opportunities in remote communities but they also have species conservation benefits," Professor Marsh said.

One example is community development of the Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements in the Great Barrier Reef region, which guides sustainable hunting.

"I think a huge amount of progress is being made and it will evolve over time. This is truly the way to go because most hunting occurs in remote areas and, in order to manage it effectively, you need the help of the local people," Professor Marsh said.

"I don't think we have an imminent conservation crisis for either the dugong or turtle in Australia. We're lucky we have good stocks, so we need to look after them."

The Department of Sustainability and Environment estimates the dugong population in Australia to be about 5700, based on figures from 1995 to 2008, but a department spokesman said there were no definitive figures on dugong or turtle numbers.

"The Australian government is part of a national partnership approach for the conservation and protection of turtles and dugongs," the spokesman said. ''There is also state and Northern Territory legislation in place to protect turtles and dugongs."

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