Ko Libong (เกาะลิบง) is one of 550 islands in the Andaman Sea. Lying off the coast of Thailand, it is a part of an eponymous sub-district of Kantang District, Trang Province, which also includes several other islands of the Libong Archipelago and a small section of the shoreline near Kantang.
Geography Ko Libong, Trang's largest island, is 30 minutes by long-tail boat from Hat Yao Ban Chao Mai Pier. Less visited than neighbouring isles, Ko Libong is known for its flora and fauna as much as for its beaches. The island is home to a small Muslim fishing community and has a few resorts on its west coast beaches. In 1979, Mu Ko Libong Non-hunting Area was established, with a land/water area of .
Environment On the east coast of Ko Libong at Laem Ju Hoi is a large area of mangroves protected by the Botanical Department as the Libong Islands Wildlife Reserve.
Dugongs Ko Libong's sea channels have sea grass, a favorite food of the rare dugong, making the Libong Wildlife Sanctuary one of the last habitats of the species. Around 180 of the creatures survive there.
Two hundred dugongs are believed to still exist in Thai waters , 180 of them off Ko Libong. Dugongs are listed in Thailand's Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act as one of 19 protected wild species in Thailand. Their presence is due to the more than 12,000 rai of seagrass meadows surrounding Libong. Seagrass is the dugong's favourite food and 11 of the 13 species of seagrasses in Thailand are found at Ko Libong.
The leading causes of dugong deaths are fishing equipment and boat collisions. In the first nine months of 2019, 21 dugongs have died. Among them was an infant dugong that died from eating plastic waste, which led to severe gastritis and blood infection. The dugong losses are exacerbated by their low birth rate; they cannot be bred in captivity.
Ko Libong inhabitants have united to create a preservation zone for dugongs where fishing and navigation are limited. Residents monitor compliance from a watchtower on the island. They also scour the seagrass meadows for plastic debris. Ko Libong's program will later be expanded to 11 other dugong habitats, including Ko Phra Thong, areas in the Prasae River delta, and Bandon Bay. Ko Libong was named an ASEAN Heritage Park at the 15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in October 2019.
Birds
The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a significant wintering population of spotted greenshanks.
Harvesting the nests of swiftlets has been a money-making activity for Ko Libong residents for hundreds of years. Ko Libong no longer has swiftlet nests, but collectors seek them on other islands in the Trang Sea, on Ko Muk, Ko Petra, and Ko Laolieng or in neighbouring provinces like Phatthalung, Krabi, and Phang Nga. The nests are harvested three times a year, in February, April, and July–August. Each job takes about seven to eight days. When harvesting nests for the third time, harvesters wait until the chicks have flown away.
Libong Islands There are a total of 6 islands in the Libong archipelago including the main island Ko Libong. NrIsland Area (km2) Population1 Ko Libong 33.500 35002 Ko Muk 7.633 20003 Ko Rok Noi2.146 0 4 Ko Rok Yai1.846 0 5 Ko Kradan 1.668 4006 Ko Waen0.159 0 Total 46.952 5900
Location Mu Ko Libong Non-hunting Area in overview PARO 5 (Nakhon Si Thammarat) National park 1 Ao Phang Nga 2 Hat Chao Mai 3 Hat Khanom–Mu Ko Thale Tai 4 Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi 5 Khao Lak–Lam Ru 6 Khao Lampi–Hat Thai Mueang 7 Khao Luang 8 Khao Nan 9 Khao Phanom Bencha 10 Mu Ko Lanta 11 Mu Ko Phetra 12 Mu Ko Similan 13 Mu Ko Surin 14 Namtok Si Khit 15 Namtok Yong 16 Si Phang Nga 17 Sirinat 18 Tarutao 19 Thale Ban 20 Than Bok Khorani Wildlife sanctuary 21 Kathun 22 Khao Pra–Bang Khram 23 Khlong Phraya 24 Namtok Song Phraek Non-hunting area 25 Bo Lo 26 Khao Nam Phrai 27 Khao Phra Thaeo 28 Khao Pra–Bang Khram 29 Khlong Lam Chan 30 Laem Talumpuk 31 Mu Ko Libong 32 Nong Plak Phraya–Khao Raya Bangsa 33 Thung Thale Forest park 34 Bo Namrong Kantang 35 Namtok Phan 36 Namtok Raman 37 Namtok Thara Sawan 38 Sa Nang Manora
See also
Indian Ocean Trang Province Outline of Thailand List of islands of Thailand
Notes
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