Marine and Coastal Conservation in Thailand

Introduction

As the world begins to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, there needs to be a global, unified switch in focus to practically tackle the climate crisis - an issue with the potential to cause destruction and chaos magnitudes greater than the pandemic we just experienced.

Phang Nga’s coastal conservation programme continues to work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (13, 14, 15), as we work together with our local community to conserve this unique coastal ecosystem; tackling important conservation challenges on local and global scales.

Projects:Sea Turtle Conservation, Biodiversity Surveys (Bird Surveys, Butterfly Surveys, Frog Surveys, Camera Trapping, Kayak Surveys), Beach Cleans, Beach Profiling, Conservation Club

This quarter saw the continuation and development of our strong partnership with the Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtle Conservation Centre, facilitating the healthy release of hundreds of Green Sea Turtle Hatchlings back into the wild. A monumental milestone was reached in this project, as 14 adult Green Sea Turtles were released back to The Similan Island Marine National Park, where they have next to no natural predators and abundant sources of food. The conservation value of releasing sexually mature adults back into the breeding population is incredibly high, offering the declining endangered Green Sea Turtle population a real chance of recovery. The continued support of our donors will enable us to continue this positive action and facilitate the successful release of the remaining 14 adult Green Sea Turtles at the centre, the impact of which would be incredible.

After the significant increase in the number of hatchlings at the centre over the pandemic, this quarter we have enabled an increase in the release of hatchlings from the centre, bringing tank numbers down and improving welfare conditions at the centre. The cause of the sudden increase in hatchlings at the centre is something that the conservation team intends to research in depth in the following quarter thanks to the support of our donors.

An enrichment project this quarter displayed the potential for the release of an otherwise ‘non-releasable’ adult turtle. This turtle has a genetic developmental disorder causing a severe case of buoyancy syndrome, meaning that the turtle would not be able to dive to feed itself and therefore unable to survive in the wild. We have video footage of this turtle showing an increased ability to dive, a huge development for the rehabilitation of this animal. With the continuation of an intense and long term enrichment programme, this turtle may be able to be trained how to dive and consequently be released into the wild population. This is something that the team intends to complete with the right funding and support for our enrichment programme.

Our beach profiling project has expanded this quarter, following the development of a new partnership with an environmental engineer contracted by the DMCR (Department for Marine and Coastal Resources) to find a tangible solution to Khao Lak’s beach erosion issue. Not only does this issue threaten the region's ecosystem and wildlife, it also poses a real threat to the community as 80% of the Phang Nga provinces population rely solely on tourism as their main source of income. Without a beach ecosystem this rapidly expanding beach resort town would not be able to sustain its growth nor support its inhabitants basic needs.

With multiple site visits from the partner, alongside attendance to conferences with stakeholders, the team developed a data collection schedule to sample the region's beaches in 9 sections every 8 weeks. The data collected over 25km of surveys has been integral to the generation of a report that will influence the long term action plan and the future of the entire region. As our team has been the eyes on the ground, we have seen first hand the catastrophic effect that this season's monsoon has had on the beaches here and the desperate and isolated attempts of the local community to save their beach, business and livelihood. From this we can see that a unified effort to protect our coastal ecosystem is imperative to this community's survival; something that can only be achieved using the report produced from our team's data collection and the work of our partner.

Another consequence of this year's monsoon season is the devastating amount of marine litter washing up on our region's beaches. The team continues to tirelessly and relentlessly remove this trash from our beaches at any opportunity to reduce the effect on marine life and the adverse effect on the tourism industry. This effort has been supported by collaboration with local environmental organisations, forming a united front in the battle against plastic pollution.

Our biodiversity surveys continue across the Phang Nga region, offering regular and important submissions to global citizen science databases ensuring the protection and future of these species. This quarter we have been approached by different parties to utilise our bird survey data to oppose a local project imposed on the community by the government, that threatens to destroy a community that only just recovered from the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. As we move into the next quarter we will investigate whether our bird survey data can realistically be used to protect the interests of this resilient community, as well as safeguarding these fragile ecosystems. Linked to this, the presence of the critically endangered pangolin species on a nearby island, that is also threatened by the proposed project, is a crucial finding that is being reviewed by the team to see how we can best utilise this discovery to protect our local community and environment.

Another project this quarter saw the development of a new project under the umbrella of our biodiversity programme. A pilot Frog Survey project was launched, looking into the species distribution and diversity of amphibians in the local area. This data is being uploaded to the Global Amphibian BioBlitz network, working to protect and expand the knowledge of amphibian species in the region. This programme will be developed in the following quarter, expanding its scope and impact.

Due to our donors' support this quarter we were able to rent 1 new kayak to conduct biodiversity surveys within our local river and mangrove ecosystem. This will open a window of opportunity into one of the most crucial and vulnerable ecosystems in this region. The protection and investment into the deeper understanding of these ecosystems is imperative to the communities food security and natural tsunami defences.

The impact of our environmental education programme has significantly increased this quarter following the development of a curriculum for our conservation club programme. The classes now follow the United Nations YUNGA badge framework, offering the students a fun but focused learning experience. The programme allows the students to improve their knowledge and understanding of pressing environmental issues, whilst also improving their english and having fun!

This quarter we have been approached by several large hotel resorts and chains in the area looking to partner with our teams to improve the sustainability of their businesses, as they become increasingly aware of their corporate responsibility to take stewardship for their local environment. Conversations with these potential new partners have begun and we hope to develop a hotel network/programme in the region that encourages and engages local businesses to tackle environmental issues together moving forward. 

Summary

The conservation team has made positive steps forward this quarter thanks to the ongoing support of our donors. We have made progress across all project areas, approaching these pressing environmental challenges from a holistic and varied approach to conserving our coastal environment and ensuring the future of our local community. With your continued support we continue to take strides towards meeting the United Nations SDG’s 13, 14 and 15, and ensuring the successful future of this unique coastal ecosystem and community.

Many thanks for your ongoing support.