Thailand Investigates Increasing Dugong Death Toll in Krabi

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File photo. Source: Wikipedia

 

Thailand's dugong population is facing a serious decline, prompting an expanded investigation into rising death rates. The recent discovery of a dead juvenile dugong on Si Boya Island has heightened concerns about the survival of this vulnerable species. The dugong was found just days after another adult female was discovered dead in Krabi's Khao Thong subdistrict.

 

Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Chalermchai Sri-on, has called for urgent interventions to combat the alarming situation. The critical decline in seagrass, which serves as the primary food source for dugongs, has been identified as a major cause of the increased mortality.

 

This issue is particularly acute in Trang province, a once-thriving habitat for dugongs and seagrass diversity.

 

Reports indicate that the dugong population in the Andaman Sea has lost at least 35 members this year. With seagrass levels only half as plentiful as previous years, the survival of remaining dugongs is in jeopardy.

To address this, the ministry has tasked the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, along with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, to implement crisis recovery and protection measures.

 

These include seagrass bed restoration, supplementary feeding, and dugong rescue training courses.

 

Marine expert Thon Thamrongnawasawat has highlighted the urgency of the situation on social media, pointing out that 72 dugongs have died over the past two years.

 

The death rate has escalated from approximately one per month seven years ago to nearly four per month in 2023. Given this trajectory, experts warn that dugongs could face local extinction in the Andaman Sea within the next few years if current trends continue.

 

Minister Chalermchai plans to monitor progress closely and intends to bring this crisis to the international stage at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2024-11-19