The National Marine and Coastal Resources Management Policy and Planning Committee has designated August 17 as National Dugong Conservation Day. To mark this occasion, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, in collaboration with the Governor of Trang Province and local networks, is organizing the 2024 National Dugong Conservation Week. The event will take place from August 17-19, 2024, at Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, Trang Campus, Sikao District, Trang Province. Mr. Goment Teetananon, Advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, will preside over the opening ceremony at the Chalerm Phrakiat 80th Anniversary Building. Dignitaries attending the event include Trang Governor Mr. Songklod Sawangwong, Assistant Professor Sitthichoke Janyong, Vice President of Trang Campus, as well as representatives from the government, private sector, local communities, and students. The event will feature exhibitions on dugongs and seagrass ecosystems, student artwork displays, academic seminars, quiz games, booths by community networks, and drone demonstrations for surveying rare marine animals.
Following the opening ceremony, the Minister’s Advisor will visit the Rajamangala Trang Marine Animal Hospital to check on a male dugong calf that was found separated from its mother near Poda Island, Krabi Province, on August 11, 2024. Dr. Piyarat Khumraksa, Head of the Internal Medicine Department at the Andaman Coastal Marine Resources Research Center, reported that the dugong calf is showing signs of improvement, eating more and exhibiting better swimming and balance. The visit will also include a tour of the hospital’s facilities, where other marine animals are being treated, along with expressions of support and encouragement for the veterinarians and staff.
The objective of National Dugong Week is to raise awareness, promote conservation efforts, and encourage public participation in the protection of dugongs and their seagrass habitats, which serve as both food and shelter for dugongs. This year’s event also commemorates the memory of Mariam, a famous dugong calf that passed away, and aims to highlight conservation projects under the Royal Initiative. These efforts are part of the Coral and Marine Life Conservation Initiative, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya. This initiative has resulted in the establishment of several marine animal hospitals and rare marine life rescue centers, dedicated to caring for stranded dugongs and other rare marine species before returning them to their natural habitats.
Trang Province was selected to host the 2024 National Dugong Conservation Week because it has the largest dugong population in Thailand. The province has been designated as a protected marine and coastal area under the Marine and Coastal Resources Management Promotion Act of 2015, with an emphasis on safeguarding dugongs and their seagrass meadows. The event will highlight the importance of community involvement, integrating efforts from all sectors, and will take place from August 17 to 19, 2024.
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