About 20 dugongs have died this year in Thai waters, including four in just the past five days, prompting the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to take immediate action to protect the remaining population.
According to the minister, Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan, the warming of the oceans has caused extensive damage to sea grass in the Andaman Sea off Trang and Krabi provinces.
This has forced many dugongs to move away from their traditional feeding grounds, to seek greener pastures in Phang-nga and Phuket, exposing them to the dangers posed by commercial fishing and other marine activities.
One of the steps taken by the ministry is to declare areas, with sea grass in abundance or frequented by dugongs, off-limits to boats, unless it is necessary. Even then, vessel speed is strictly limited.
Fishermen have also been told not to use fishing gear which may threaten dugongs and not to fish in areas frequented by the mammals.
Pinsak Suraswadi, director-general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, said that the population of dugongs in the Andaman Sea had increased from 20 to about 280 in the past decade.
Pinsak led a group of officials to Krabi province yesterday to hold talks with representatives of fishermen and coastal communities about how best to protect the remaining dugong population.
Dugongs are a protected species under the wildlife conservation and protection law. Most of them are found around Libong Island, off Trang province, Muk, Poo and Lanta islands off Krabi province.
