Microchips to be removed from three dugongs off Trang
The Nation, Trang



TRANG: -- OFFICIALS HAVE agreed to remove microchips from three wild dugongs after fishermen protested over the move, saying cables for the tags make it more difficult for the sea cows to feed on marine grass and increases their risk of getting caught.

"We would like to apologise for what happened," Chonlatid Suraswadi, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, said yesterday.

Had Chao Mai National Park officials implanted microchips in the three dugong - which belong to a vulnerable species - in the middle of last month to study their behaviour and demarcate safety zones for them.

The Local Fishermens' Club based in Trang lodged a complaint with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, describing the tagging as a form of torture.

Chonlatid met with club members to assure them that the tags would be removed as soon as possible.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan and the chief of the National Parks Department had ordered the tags to be removed, he said.

The National Parks Department wanted the tags to be removed by today, but the Marine Department plans to hold a meeting today with the team in charge of handling the removal to determine the best method.

The team has been set up by the National Parks Department, while the Marine Department will provide support in the form of boats and veterinarians.

"We will invite representatives of Chulalongkorn University to witness the tag-removal operation," he said.

Many foreign countries have tagged rare sea animals such as whales and dugongs for research purposes.

"But as the fishermen in Trang have had concerns about the tagging, we have agreed to remove them," he said. In collaboration with Japanese researchers, the Marine Department had a plan to set up underwater recorders to track dugongs' sounds next month.

"So before we start the installation, we will try to build mutual understanding with the public," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Microchips-to-be-removed-from-three-dugongs-off-Tr-30251689.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-12

RE: "In collaboration with Japanese researchers, the Marine Department had a plan to set up underwater recorders to track dugongs' sounds next month."

Not encouraging given Japanese 'research' on other marine mammals...

Doesn't look good for the dugongs ! no tags could end up anywhere, even on the menu you wouldn't want anyone discovering a micro chip in their tum yum

This is ignorance trumping science.

The fishermen fear to be trackable when they catch one of the three dugong. It's not for feeling sorry for the creatures.

Fatfather

RE: "In collaboration with Japanese researchers, the Marine Department had a plan to set up underwater recorders to track dugongs' sounds next month."

Not encouraging given Japanese 'research' on other marine mammals...

Hope they won't research how dugongs taste...