09 October 2003

MARINE CONSERVATION

Marine scientists want the fishing ban extended from three to six kilometres off the coast, saying the number of animals being injured by fishing equipment, particularly turtles, is increasing.

Supoj Chantrapornsin, of the Phuket Marine Resources Research and Development Institute, said three turtles which came ashore on the island this month had serious wounds caused by fishing nets,.

The mesh had entangled the turtles, which had been cut to the bone when they struggled to free themselves.

One of the turtles had lost both flippers on its left side.

The three turtles were being treated at the institute, but were in serious condition and might not survive, Mr Supoj said.

The institute was already taking care of 10 other disabled turtles, as well as wounded dolphins, whales and dugongs.

Some turtles were found to have mesh inside them which blocked their excretory systems and they died.

Mr Supoj urged fishermen to send animals injured by their nets to the institute for immediate treatment.

He said the number of turtles in the Andaman Sea was diminishing and they could become extinct in less than 10 years if efforts to conserve them failed.

Last year, only two turtle nests were found in Phangnga and one on Phuket. This year there was only one in Phangnga, with only 100-150 eggs. ``Turtles are definitely in danger of extinction,'' he said.

Hawksbill, green, leatherback and Olive Ridley turtles were formerly common in the Andaman Sea.

Mr Supoj said humans were the turtles' number one enemy because they stole their eggs, hunted them for export, polluted the sea and over-exploited coastal waters where they nested.

Nesting grounds were usually about five kilometres offshore, so the fishing ban should be extended out to six kilometres, he said.

Mr Supoj said the institute had only limited facilities for treating injured marine creatures. It had requested 60 million baht in state funds to increase its capability but there was no answer from the government.

Vice-Adm Pairoj Theerachai, commander of the Third Fleet, said the navy had a turtle conservation programme in the Andaman Sea since 1999, protecting eggs from poachers, hatching them and nursing baby turtles until they were able to return to the sea.

The fleet had found 64 nests containing 7,477 eggs at Huyong island in Phangnga in 2001.

Manop Kidsang, chairman of the Mai Khao Turtle Fund in Phuket, said his group had raised and released 5,000-6,000 turtles into the sea in the past 10 years.

The fund asked people who found turtle eggs to hand them over as part of the conservation programme, he said.

JW Mariott Phuket Resort and Spa has established a sea turtle conservation foundation with a starting donation of two million baht.