The larvae and younglings were released in a conservation area off Koh Thanan, the small island halfway between Cape Panwa and Koh Lone, which is located within the administration of Wichit.
Sitthipol Muangsong, Chief of the Phuket Fisheries Office, explained that the release yesterday was part of a ‘Phuket 7-Coloured Lobster Bank‘ project to release a total of 1.7 million younglings of seven-coloured lobster in the Phuket area.
Present on the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) boat for the occasion yesterday were Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, Phuket seven-coloured lobster farmers and local fishing groups.
Mr Sitthipol noted that the release yesterday was a collaborative effort of the Phuket Fisheries Office with the Phuket Coastal Aquaculture Research and Development Center and local Phuket seven-coloured lobster farmers.
Governor Sophon said the Phuket Fisheries Office and the Provincial Commerce Office had been assigned to accelerate the preparation of information and documents to propose that the Phuket seven-coloured lobster be registered as a Geographical Indication Product as quickly as possible.
If approved, the seven-coloured lobster would become the second aquatic animal in Phuket to receive GI status, after the Phuket pearl, he said.
Phuket seven-coloured lobster is already well recognised for its distinctiveness, and often is priced above B1,800 a kilo.
Governor Sophon noted that the move was “to guarantee that the Phuket seven-coloured lobster is unique to Phuket and has not been registered anywhere”
“Phuket seven-coloured lobster has a unique, delicious taste and is accepted internationally,” he said.
“It was also selected as one of the dishes in the APEC 2022 gala dinner menu and is considered another soft power of Phuket,” he added.