Phuket sets road map to protect migrant dugongs

Phuket is forming a working group to care for about 30 dugongs that have migrated from the coasts of Trang and Krabi to areas around Rawai Beach.
Phuket governor Sophon Suwanrat on Wednesday chaired a meeting with parties including the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) to discuss how to care for the dugongs that have been migrating to the area around the southern and western coasts of Phuket.
“We will form a working group and a patrol unit together with the DMCR. The Marine and Coastal Resources Office will map the dugong sighting locations and fishing net-prohibited zones to keep the dugongs from being entangled in any nets, which could result in their death,” he said.
The Marine Department, the Fisheries Department, and the Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office will help inform the public, particularly fishermen, tour operators and those who offer speedboat services, to be especially careful in those areas.
“We must ask for cooperation from all coastal fishermen and those living along the coast and the public to protect the dugongs,” he said.
The province will set up a Line group called “Love Phuket Dugongs”. Anyone can join and provide updated information whenever they spot a dugong around the island.
The DMCR also said it will start planting seagrass and find alternative food sources for them. The committee has a plan to build enclosures in the sea in a designated area to take care of sick dugongs, Mr Sophon said.
Each dugong will be named based on its physical characteristics. The names will be used to record data and track their location.
“Those dugongs migrate to our area for food as the seagrass around Trang has been dying and rotting due to the impact of climate change. Some dugongs are so thin you can even see their spines,” he noted.
DMCR director-general Pinsak Suraswadi said dugongs are protected animals, but their situation is critical because of the high number of deaths — 33 this year in Thailand alone.
As a result, cooperation is required to safeguard the herd and ensure they are fed properly, particularly in light of the seagrass shortage, he added.
“We projected 4-5 months ago that Trang and Krabi would have limited food sources for them,” Mr Pinsak said.
“The target sites for dugongs to migrate to are Phuket and Phangnga. We are monitoring where they go and how many there are,” he said.
“We are also informing local people about the arrival of dugongs to foster cooperation to better protect them,” he added.