Thailand’s tourism recovery puts 4 marine species back on extinction watchlist

BANGKOK – Bryde’s whales, dugongs and two dolphin species had been disappearing from Thai seas before Covid-19 travel bans gave breathing space for their habitats to recover.

However, extinction fears have rekindled now that international tourists are flowing back in huge numbers to Thailand’s coastal and island destinations.

The Thai government is belatedly promoting sustainable tourism after alarming signs of environmental destruction from decades of unregulated boom. But corruption, short-term profit and lax law enforcement continue to erode natural habitats, to feed an industry generating around 20 per cent of Thailand’s GDP.

Adding to pressure on marine habitats and wildlife are violations and overfishing in the fisheries sector, another big earner for Thailand.

Here is a closer look at four species of endangered marine mammals that act as early indicators of whether…