Rewilding Efforts: Returning Leopard Sharks to Thailand's Waters

Thailand has embarked on a pioneering project to rewild Indo-Pacific leopard sharks, once abundant but now endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss. With the cooperation of conservationists, the 'StAR Project Thailand' aims to restore the wild population by releasing captive-bred sharks into their natural habitat.

Conservationists have initiated Thailand's first rewilding effort with the release of a young Indo-Pacific leopard shark into the waters off Maiton Island. Once a common sight, these sharks have dwindled due to overfishing and habitat destruction, thriving instead in private aquariums.

Through the StAR Project Thailand, a partnership of government bodies, NGOs, and aquariums, sharks like Maiton, Hope, and Toty are being reintroduced to the wild. The pups, bred and raised in controlled conditions, undergo months of preparation, including acclimatization in a sea pen, education in wild survival skills, and final health checks by marine veterinarians.

Efforts to revive the leopard shark population extend beyond releases, emphasizing habitat protection and pollution reduction. Metavee Chuangcharoendee, the project manager, stresses that true success will be measured by divers regularly spotting these sharks, evidence of their natural breeding, and their absence from fish markets.

(With inputs from agencies.)