THE NATION (Bangkok, Thailand) 04 June 05 Alien species harm environment
Alien species, such as turtles native to North America, are destroying Thailand’s ecological system, an academic warned yesterday.
Far from being an invasion by extra-terrestrials, the problem relates to imported plants and animals that flourish here, to the detriment of native species.
The head of the National Science Museum’s natural science research division, Jarujin Nabhitabhata, told a Bangkok seminar on alien species organised by the Thai Society of Environmental Journalists that serious commitment was needed to tackle the problem.
He said many overseas species of flora and fauna are threatening the Thai ecological system. Of them, a species of semi-aquatic turtle, the red-eared slider, (Tao Kaemdaeng) is of particular concern around Bangkok.
Jarujin said that red-eared sliders are rapidly increasing in numbers. He said the turtles, which grow up to 30cm long, are native to the United States. They can live as long as 75 years.
They were first brought to Thailand by Japanese traders who sold them as pets. Many people who bought them later abandoned them in public places after they lost their cuteness.
Jarujin said the red-eared sliders grow fast, are tolerant to the harsh environment of polluted canals, and have spread rapidly throughout Bangkok’s waterways.
“They feast on the eggs of native fish and turtles,” he said, adding that they are now damaging the local ecological system.
Jarujin said suckers, an imported fish species, are another menace. They eat the eggs of native species.
Sirikul Bunpapong, a senior official at the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, admitted that her office has not yet conducted any studies on the impact of alien species on the Thai environment. “We lack the budget and personnel for such a task,” she said. She added that a lack of understanding on the part of customs officials and the public also plays a role in this problem.
Alien species harm environment