Report of the Second Workshop on The Biology and Conservation of ...

<strong>the</strong> project was suspended in 1999 due to lack<strong>of</strong> funds. The program collected several newcetacean records from divers and o<strong>the</strong>rs andconfirmed <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> five species: bottlenose(species not determined), Indo-Pacific humpbackand Irrawaddy dolphins, false killer whale andfinless porpoise. In addition, several strandings <strong>of</strong>dugongs were investigated and samples collectedfrom specimens washed ashore from <strong>the</strong> JohoreRiver, just east <strong>of</strong> Singapore.2.1.11 ThailandThe cetacean research program in Thailand hasbeen carried out at Phuket Marine BiologicalCenter (PMBC), Department <strong>of</strong> Fisheries since1991. The program was initiated by two Danishcetologists, Michael Andersen & Carl C. Kinze,under <strong>the</strong> project “The Small Cetaceans in <strong>the</strong> Gulf<strong>of</strong> Thailand and <strong>the</strong> Andaman Sea (SCIGTAS).”Training and workshops on cetacean biologyhave been conducted for Thai and SE Asianparticipants. Interviews <strong>of</strong> fishermen and coastalvillagers have been conducted to obtain tentativerecords <strong>of</strong> occurrence <strong>of</strong> cetaceans. In addition,information has been recorded on fishing gear, bycatches,fishing effort, etc. A stranding networkhas been established by cooperation with localDepartment <strong>of</strong> Forest (DOF) <strong>of</strong>fices and villages.Awareness campaigns have been launched aimedat students and local villagers via direct contactand media such as posters, fact sheets, radio andtelevision. The stranded specimens, from bothdead and live strandings, have supported studiesas diverse as genetics and variation in externalmorphology. Efforts have been made to rescuelive-stranded animals. Aerial and boat-basedsurveys have been conducted to study distributionand abundance <strong>of</strong> cetaceans and dugongs.Species and distributionNineteen species <strong>of</strong> small cetaceans and <strong>the</strong> dugonghave been recorded from Thailand (Appendix2). Recently, more than 300 records <strong>of</strong> strandedcetaceans and dugongs have been registered at <strong>the</strong>Marine Endangered Species Unit (MESU), PhuketMarine Biological Center (PMBC). Knowledge ondistribution is limited. Several resident coastalcetaceans have been recorded, such as Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin and finless porpoise inPhang Nga Bay, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphinin Trang Province, and Irrawaddy dolphin inSongkhla Lake and Tarutao Island. Dugongs havebeen observed in seagrass beds in several coastalprovinces.Population statusAn attempt has been made to investigate abundance<strong>of</strong> dugongs and coastal cetaceans. From <strong>the</strong>information obtained <strong>the</strong>re may be one smallgroup <strong>of</strong> Irrawaddy dolphins in fresh water <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> Mekong River, in <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>astern part <strong>of</strong>Thailand next to Laos, although this may bean old and potentially unreliable record andremains unconfirmed. Ano<strong>the</strong>r group inhabitsSongkhla Lake, Songkhla Province in sou<strong>the</strong>rnThailand. This group is thought to number nomore than 50 and declining rapidly due to bycatchin gillnets (Beasley et al. 2002b). Intensivesurvey is needed in to estimate <strong>the</strong> populationsize and seasonal distribution patterns <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>sedolphins.Preliminary surveys have been carried out bothin coastal and <strong>of</strong>f shore waters in <strong>the</strong> AndamanSea (Adulyanukosol et al. 2000; Chantrapornsyland Kittiwattanawong 2001). Few cetaceans wererecorded during <strong>the</strong> surveys. Three resident groups<strong>of</strong> dolphins were observed: south <strong>of</strong> Khai Island,Phang-nga Province (15-20 bottlenose dolphins);south <strong>of</strong> Maithon Island, Phuket (10-15 bottlenosedolphins); and northwest <strong>of</strong> Racha Island, Phuket(5-6 spinner or spotted dolphins).Habitat statusHabitat has been degraded by urbanization. Severalcoastal areas have been developed for tourism,62 CMS Technical Series Publication Nº 9 - 2005