Thailand: Microchips to be removed from three dugongs off Trang

The Nation 12 Jan 15;

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.

Trang fishers oppose dugong tagging
Methee Muangkaew Bangkok Post 7 Jan 15;

A group Trang province fishermen has called for the scrapping of a project to tag endangered dugongs with satellitetrackable markers, fearing they might harm the animals.

More than 30 fishermen on Wednesday took turns in voicing their disapproval with the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre research project to attach satellite tags on rare dugongs to monitor the behaviour of the mammals, their sea­grass habitat and the animals' migration route in the Trang sea.

So far, the research team, comprised of Thai and Japanese biologists, has tagged only three dugongs.

The fishermen aired their views during a forum held at the Andaman Foundation in Muang district of Trang. Representatives from the Department of the National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation observed.

Issama­el Bensa­ard, a representative of the Trang fishermen's club, said the local anglers wanted the tagging project halted and talks held between locals and national­park authorities to find a way to conserve rare dugongs in Trang.

His club will step up pressure to stop the project if authorities ignore their call, he said.

Aren Phrakhong, deputy chairman of the Trang fishermen's club, insisted his group had no ulterior motive. It did not want
to ask for state funding, but merely wanted a role in conserving dugongs.

Members of his club have taken care of marine resources in the Trang sea for a long time and have never received
financial assistance from the state, he said Most local fishermen consider the sea and its marine resources their home, he added.

Manot Wongsureerat, chief of Hat Chao Mai national park in Trang, defended the tagging project, saying more studies
had been conducted on use of tags on dugongs and found this method was accepted by many countries.

About 20 million baht has been allocated for the satellite­based tagging project, he said, adding it was worthwhile and
useful, as it enabled officials to know the life circle of dugongs in a bid to find ways to conserve them.