BANGKOK, Thailand – The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is expanding its SAVE OUR DUGONG program across 12 high-risk areas in five Andaman coast provinces, introducing vessel controls and fishing gear changes to reduce dugong deaths linked to human activity. Six areas at risk from boat collisions will receive designated navigation routes, markers, and speed limits across Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, and Trang. Boats will be limited to 5 knots within 1 kilometer of shore, 10 knots within 2 kilometers, and 20 knots within 3 kilometers. Speeds over seagrass beds will be capped at 5 knots, falling to 3 knots in national park areas. Director-General Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi reported on August 17 that the measures are intended to protect endangered marine wildlife while allowing fishing and navigation to continue safely.
Fishing rules will also be adjusted in six areas in Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, and Trang where dugongs are vulnerable to entanglement. Crab traps and crab gillnets will be prohibited in seagrass beds, while large-mesh fish gillnets must remain at least 1 kilometer away. Other changes include safer buoy ropes, weak links that can help entangled dugongs escape, and measures to reduce loose fishing lines. The department expects the new controls to be implemented within six months. Department records show 209 dugong strandings during fiscal years 2017–2026, including 34 linked to human activity. Of those, 17 involved marine accidents, 16 involved fishing gear, and one involved marine debris. Officials warn that Thailand’s dugong population could fall below 100 by 2030 and below 50 by 2035 if current losses continue. The public is asked to report injured, entangled, or endangered dugongs through the 1362 hotline. (NNT)
