KRABI, 17 July 2019 (NNT) – The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources is cooperating with related agencies along the Andaman Sea to protect dugongs, a rare marine animal, implementing measures to prevent the beaching and deaths of dugongs.
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Director General Jatuporn Buruspat, along with the Vice Governor of Krabi Sompoch Chotchuchuang, the Commander of Phang Nga Navy Base RAdm Nanthapon Malarat, and representatives of related agencies, have attended a meeting to improve measures protecting dugongs in a sustainable manner, following reported cases of 15 dugong deaths this year, exceeding the average of 12 a year.
Most of the dugongs found dead, died from mishaps with fishing equipment, with the four latest cases found with traces of rope burns on the skin, while one of the latest was found dead from an infection. Meanwhile the number of beached dugongs has also risen.
In the meeting, a working committee was set up, while each agency was given a role in dugong protection. A marine area covering 0.04 square kilometers close to Ko Jum Island in Krabi where dense seagrass can be found has now been declared a fishing-free zone.
The DMCR chief says measures preventing beaching and the death of dugongs will be carried out in three phases, with short-term measures taking care of dugong’s food sources, patrols being instigated, and communication with villagers to promote public participation in conservation, while mid-term measures include the collection of relevant data and collaboration with related agencies to address all the issues, while long-term measures being introduced will provide more intense conservation of the dugongs’ habitat, including the announcement of a designated dugong protection area within five years.
