Artificial limbs to be developed for aquatic animals in Thailand

BANGKOK, November 23 (TNA) - To conserve aquatic animals and the ecological system, the Thai government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and allied corporate bodies, have agreed to jointly develop artificial appendages for injured or handicapped sea animals. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the agreed move was signed by the ministry's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited (PTT-GC) and Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok on November 22. Under the five-year MOU, all the four parties will work together on research and development projects, as well as on the design of artificial limbs for injured or handicapped sea animals, covering their shared academic information and data, knowledge, experiences, technical and innovative environmentally-friendly technologies and counseling services, to keep on their living and to develop the country's techniques and production of artificial appendages for aquatic animals in the long run. Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Director-General Chatuporn Burutpat told journalists that there were more than 400 stranded sea animals annually during 2015-2017 due to their injuries from fishing tools and boat propellers, as well as natural illnesses, most of which were sea turtles at about 57 per cent, followed by dolphins and whales at about 38 per cent and dugongs at about 5 per cent. ​PTT President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chansin Treenuchagron said that the joint move is aimed to not only conserve the sea animals and the marine ecological system, but also promote marine tourism in Thailand to be in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and the Pride mission of PTT and PTT-GC, his company's subsidiary. (TNA)