August 17 "National Manatee Conservation Day"

August 17 "National Manatee Conservation Day" to commemorate "Mariam" and reinforce the importance of conservation of coastal organisms.

August 17 of each year, it is declared "National Manatee Conservation Day" by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to urge the public to recognize the important role of the manatee in coastal ecosystems and jointly protect the marine environment in a sustainable manner.

This important day begins with the story of "Mariam," a straggler manatee who was found stranded in Krabi Province in 2019 and became a favorite of Thais across the country. With the cuteness and bond that formed between the authorities and Mariam during the recovery care, but finally Mariam died of a gastrointestinal infection, which was caused by residual plastic waste in the body.

Soon after, another manatee, "Ya Meal," died in a similar incident, reflecting a marine waste crisis that directly affects rare marine species and the ecosystem as a whole.

The story of Mariam and Yameel has seriously awakened a wave of awareness in Thai society about manatee conservation and marine waste management, leading to the designation of a National Manatee Conservation Day as a symbol of cooperation in protecting marine life to persist.

Later, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Dr Chamchai Srisoft, made an urgent policy to establish a "Joint Operation Center for Manatee Protection" to address the crisis caused by degraded seagrass deposits, by conducting surveys and surveillance for the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Species Department (NTC) and the Marine and Coastal Resources Department (NTC). Together, it explores and tracks manatee populations, highlighting key areas like Chao Silk Beach, Trang Province and Libong Islands, Krabi Province, which are important seagrass sources, prepares for emergency rescue efforts, establishes rescue teams with drones to track and rescue manatee in danger, and installs protective equipment, installs manatee protection equipment at Libong Island, and supplemental seagrass plots have been made to provide a new food source.

The establishment of the center is a milestone in the conservation of Thailand's endangered species, relying on the cooperation of many agencies to make operations more efficient.

"Manatees are not only rare marine animals, but also a measure of the abundance of coastal ecosystems. The preservation of manatees is a sustainable care of the Thai Sea for the next generation."