The sighting of a pod of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins off the Pattani coast last Friday has been welcomed by the Fisheries Department as a sign that its conservation efforts are paying off.
Department director-general Chalermchai Suwannarak said the Pattani Marine Fisheries Control Centre reported that tourists spotted six to eight dolphins not far from Khae Khae Beach in tambon Ban Nam Bo, Panare district in the southern province.
Mr Chalermchai said the coastal area is a conservation zone of the Panare community. Locals have been cooperating to prevent the use of illegal fishing methods that harm marine habitats, he said.
The return of the dolphins showed that the natural resources along the coastal area have recovered, he said. In addition, strict enforcement of laws banning fishing in the conservation zone contributed to the recovery of the marine environment, he said.
Thailand has a national plan dedicated to marine mammal conservation and management for 2023-2027, he said, adding that it complies with the US Marine Mammal Protection Import Act (MMPA).
