Thai Conservationists Reintroducing Leopard Sharks to Andaman Sea Coast
A conservation program in Thailand is breeding endangered leopard sharks and reintroducing them to the country's seas, with slow but measurable progress. The breeding project, based in Phuket on Thailand's western Andaman Sea, fits released sharks with beacons that allow them to be tracked in local waters.
Leopard Shark Breeding Program in Thailand Shows Early Signs of Success
REPORTER:
A leopard shark heads from captivity into the Andaman sea along Thailand’s western coast. These spotted creatures were once a feature of these waters. But accidental bycatch by fishing boats and the degradation of local mangroves and reefs have left them endangered.
But this breeding program, based in Phuket, is helping the leopard shark retake its place in the ecosystem. NGOs, aquariums, conservation groups and the Thai government are all involved.
Breeding these sharks is an intensive operation that starts with collecting and monitoring eggs. As the sharks hatch and grow, they are moved between tanks designed for each life stage.
After about a year, they're ready for the final step before release—teaching them how to live in the sea and to forage on their own.
Metavee Chuangcharoendee (PROJECT MANAGER, STAR PROJECT THAILAND):
The sea pen is built in order to acclimatize the shark to their environment and the shark nannies are taking care of the shark daily feeding, recording their growth and also recording their general health to be able to take care of the shark and keep them healthy and train them for the wild.
REPORTER:
After a final eight months of adjustment, they are ready for the wild. Once they are judged healthy enough, off they go.
But the project doesn’t stop there: Each shark gets fitted with a tag that sends out a signal that underwater receivers can pick up within a certain range. There are 20 of these receivers in the local bay—and by checking the data every few months, the Star Project team can see how the sharks are doing.
Metavee Chuangcharoendee (PROJECT MANAGER, STAR PROJECT THAILAND):
So now, in 2025, we release a total of seven leopard sharks, and we are looking forward to seeing them again in our acoustic receivers to know that they are doing well in the wild. And hopefully, we can work after this to work together with the departments, the government agencies to strengthen the protection for them.
REPORTER:
No other facility in Thailand is breeding leopard sharks under such careful conditions, preparing them for reintroduction to the sea. But the program’s leaders say their work alone won’t be enough for long-term success: Conservation is needed too.
Metavee Chuangcharoendee (PROJECT MANAGER, STAR PROJECT THAILAND):
What I would call success is that I see that the leopard sharks have recovered. The divers are seeing them daily. They are breeding. We see eggs and also they are not coming up on any market. And also their habitat is healthy. And we have a really healthy ocean, coral reef ecosystem, mangrove ecosystem.
REPORTER:
That kind of success still awaits. But even with just a few releases a year, the people behind this project are confident an important part of local marine life is on its way back.
