A 200-kilogram dugong was found dead floating in the waters of Ao Nang, Krabi Province, marking the fourth dugong death attributed to fishing gear in Krabi and Phang-nga provinces.
Officials from the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Krabi, dispatched a boat to retrieve the carcass, found floating about 600 meters from the shore of Ao Nang Beach. The discovery was reported by a tour operator of a long-tail boat, who noticed the dugong with fishing net debris around its tail.
Upon retrieving the dugong, it was found to be a female with its tail ensnared by a crab net, nylon rope, and mesh netting, making it impossible for the animal to swim to the surface to breathe. Dugongs need to surface for air every 3-5 minutes.
It is believed the dugong died from suffocation as there were no other visible injuries on its body. The dugong measured 210 centimeters in length, 130 centimeters in girth, with a tail base circumference of 46 centimeters, and weighed 200 kilograms.
This incident marks the fourth dugong death in Krabi and Phang-nga provinces, with previous cases involving entanglement in fishing gear, propeller strikes, and mortality during migration in search of seagrass beds.
National park officials have gathered evidence and filed a complaint with the Ao Nang Police Station to investigate and identify the perpetrators.
The dugong’s carcass has been sent to the Andaman Sea Lower Coast Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center for a thorough examination and cause of death determination by experts. -819 (TNA)
