1. General Description about Lampi Island MNP 2. Natural Resources 3. Biodiversity Values 4. Spiritual and Cultural Values (Moken Sea Gypsies/Salone in Lampi Area) 5. Human settlement in Lampi Island MNP 6. Threats to the natural resources 7. Management Status

1. Dr Saw Mon Theint
Environmental Researcher

2. Outlines
1. General Description about Lampi Island MNP
2. Natural Resources
3. Biodiversity Values
4. Spiritual and Cultural Values
(Moken Sea Gypsies/Salone in Lampi Area)
5. Human settlement in Lampi Island MNP
6. Threats to the natural resources
7. Management Status

3. 1. General Description about Lampi Island MNP
Locality Myeik Archipelago,Tanintharyi Region (Boke Pyin Township)
Geographical coordinates Long. 98˚ 04 E - 98˚ 18 E / Lat. 10˚ 41 N - 10˚ 59 N
Establishment date 28 February 1996
Size 205 km2 (79.09 mile2)
north-south direction, with a length of 48 km(30 mile) & maximum width
of about 6 km (7 mile)
Altitude Generally hilly and rises steeply from sea level up to 455m
Myanmar category Marine National Park
IUCN category II (National Park)
Protection level Total area
Main purposes Conservation
Site Governance Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division (FD)
Natural resources Evergreen forest, Mangrove forest, Beach and Dune forest, Sea grass
beds, Coral reefs
Key protected resources Coral reefs, Lesser Mouse-deer (Tragulus javanicus subsp. Lampensis)
and Salone ethnic culture
Significant values ASEAN Heritage Site (18,Dec,2003), Important Bird Area (IBA), and
designated Myanmar ecotourism site

4. ×
×
×
×
×
×
Kyunsu Town
Bokpyin Town
Karathuri Town
Kawthoung Town
Tanintharyi Town
99°0'E
99°0'E
98°30'E
98°30'E
98°0'E
98°0'E97°30'E
12°0'N
12°0'N
11°30'N
11°30'N
11°0'N
11°0'N
10°30'N
10°30'N
10°0'N
10°0'N
105°0'E
105°0'E
100°0'E
100°0'E
95°0'E
95°0'E
90°0'E
90°0'E
30°0'N25°0'N20°0'N15°0'N10°0'N
Distance of miles from main
lands
 90 miles from Myeik
 40 miles from Boke Pyin
 60 miles from Kawthoung

5. 2. Natural Resources
 Covered by…
 22% of evergreen forest type
 2% of mangrove forest type
 1% of beach and dune forest
 75% of marine habitat such as
coral reefs, sea grass beds, fresh
water streams and swamps.
 Two major perennial rivers: Tourist
River (Baik chaung/Labi chaung) &
Mi Gyaung chaung and many small
seasonal streams
 Sea grass meadows around
Lampi also supports threatened
species like the green turtle and
the dugong that feed on sea
grass.

6. 195 plant species of the evergreen forest including valuable tree
species like Ka-nyin-ni, Ka-nyin-phyu, Ka-nyin-kyaung-che, Thingan,
U-ban, Kan-zaw, etc..,
63 mangrove species,
19 mammal,
228 bird,
10 amphibian,
19 reptile,
42 fish,
42 crab,
50 gastropod (snail, slug and whelks),
41 bivalves (oyster, mussel or scallop) ,
35 sea cucumber,
73 seaweed,
11 sea grass
333 plankton species were identified during the survey period.

8. Evergreen forest supports a variety of amphibians, reptiles birds
and mammals.

9. Natural Mangrove Forest (Rhizophora spp.)

10. Natural Mangrove Forest (Rhizophora spp.)
Mangrove forests found in this park in a excellent conservation status. During the
survey period, 63 species were recorded. This forests also provide an important
habitat for many species of molluscs, crustaceans and fishes.

11. Natural Mangrove Forest (Lumnitzera littorea)
(tdrfhroG,fteD)

13. Beach and Dune Forest

14. Sea grass beds

21. The main market for the Lampi catches is neighboring Thailand.

24. 3. Biodiversity Values
17 tree species found in Lampi Island MNP are threatened according to
IUCN categories:
4 mangrove species of threatened and near threatened species found in
Lampi Island MNP are as follow:
Kanyin, Kanyin-pyan, Kanyin-ni, Thingan-net (Thit-
me), Thingan-magalay, Thit-net(Kadut-ni/Lay-
thayet), U-ban (Kaban), Kaungmu
CR
(Critically Endangered)
Taung-bok, Kanyin-phyu, Kanyin-ywet’-thei, U-ban-
hput, Tha-byae-ni, Letput-thi-pin
EN (Endangered)
Thingan, Taung-phyu, Hin-cho-gyi VU (Vulnerable)
La-ba, CR (Critically Endangered)
Yae-ka-na-zo EN (Endangered)
Sar-thar-pin, Yae-tha-man NT (Near Threatened)

25. Out of 19 recorded mammal species, 7 species are in danger according to the
IUCN Red List of Threatened species (2010).
A total of 228 bird species were observed in Lampi Island MNP and surrounding
areas. Out of these, 8 species are new records for Myanmar. 19 species are
listed as threatened and near threatened species.
Asian Elephant (tm7Sqif) EN
Sunda Pangolin (rav;oif;acGcsyf) EN
Dugong (a70uf) VU
Southern Pig-tailed Macaque (arsmufywD;) VU
Oriental Small-clawed Otter (a-conf;i,fzsH) VU
Black Giant Squirrel (vif;ouf) NT
Dusky Langur (arsmufrsufuGif;-zL) NT

26. Threatened sea turtles of Lampi Island MNP
Common name Status (Red list 2010) Note
Yellow Tortoise (vdyf0g) EN Live found
Loggerhead Turtle
(vdyfacG;)
EN Carapaces found
Green Turtle
(_yifomvdyf)
EN Carapaces found
Olive Ridley Turtle
(vdyfavmif;)
VU Information from local
people

27. 4. Spiritual and Cultural Values
 Spiritual and cultural values are attributed to the site by Moken
sea gypsies who consider Lampi as a “Mother island”

28. Moken Sea Gypsies/Salone in Lampi Area
 It is estimated that a total population of 4,000 Moken still inhabit the archipelago
both on the Myanmar and Thai side.
Less than 100 hhs (about 400 individuals) settled in the surrounding of Lampi
Island MNP.

29. Roaming the sea from island to island, collecting and trading the sea products,
settled in some island that offered good shelter and whose forests provided food
during the rainy season, built their huts on silts very close to the shore to check the
sea and their boats.

41. 5. Human settlement in Lampi
Island MNP
In the core area of Lampi Island
MNP, there are 5 human settlements;
 one village
(Makyone Galet village lied on Bo
Cho Island, located at the southern
part of Lampi),
 one private work camp
(like a village namely War Kyunn
village on War Kyunn Island, located
at the north-east side of Lampi
Island,
with fish and ice factory),
 two temporary camps
(namely Ko Phawt and Sittat Galet),
 one temporary camp located in the
proposed buffer zone, called Nyaung
Wee Island

48.  Lampi area has received significant
pattern of migration especially
since 1996 for tourism and
business, before it was a black
area with security problems,
namely the presence of pirates and
insurgents.
 In the last 15 years, the population
size of the area has dramatically
increased as reported in Table 1.

49. Table 1. Population trend with household ethnic composition trend
Survey year 1995 2008 2010
Source FD BANCA OIKOS
1. Makyone Galet 55 hh
Only Salone
88 hh
44 hh (50%) Salone
44 hh (50%) other
Myanmar
191 hh (825 P)
38 hh Salone
25 hh mixed Salone
11 hh Karen
117 hh Myanmar
2. War Kyunn 172 hh
27 hh Salone
145 hh Myanmar
243 hh
Only Myanmar
255 hh (1502 P)
Only Myanmar
3. Ko Phawt Not existing 8 hh
Only Myanmar
30 hh (200 P)
3 hh Salone
1 hh Karen
26 hh Myanmar
4. Sittat Galet Not existing 9 hh
Only Myanmar
26 hh (250 P)
1 hh Salone
1 hh Karen
24 hh Myanmar
5. Nyaung Wee Only boats
(227)
27 hh
15 hh Salone
12 hh other Myanmar
(375)
62 hh (295 P)
13 hh Salone
8 hh mixed Salone
1 hh Mon (564)
40 hh Myanmar

50. 6. Threats to the natural resources

52. Threats recorded in Lampi Island MNP
(based on IUCN-CMP threats classification)
Threats identified inside Lampi
Island MNP
Threats identified outside
Lampi Island MNP
1. Residential & commercial development
Housing & urban areas Illegal & legal human
settlements on 4 small islands
causing destruction
Growing population in
Nyaung Wee & increasing
number of fishing boats
2. Agriculture & aquaculture
Annual & perennial non-
timber crops
Agricultural expansion (rubber,
beetle nut, mango & other
plantation in Makyone Galet
Forest clearing for rubber
plantation in Kyun Pila
5. Biological resource use
Hunting & collecting
terrestrial animals
Heavy poaching of forest mammals (mouse deer, wild pig,
monkey, civet)
Logging & wood
harvesting
Illegal logging of mature trees of Dipterocarpus spp. & other
valuable species, extraction of rattan & mangrove
Fishing & harvesting
aquatic resources
Overfishing, illegal fishing techniques including dynamite
fishing. Overharvesting of marine flora & fauna (sea
cucumbers, sea shells, prawns, squids, etc.)

53. 7. Natural system modification
Dams and water
management/use
Unplanned/illegal water use
from springs and rivers, for
domestic use & commercial
use (fish factory in WK)
Other ecosystem
modifications
• Sedimentation especially in
the East side
• Coral bleaching
• Change in sea currents
• Sea level rise
• Sand digging on Pine
Tree Island
• Change in sea currents
• Sea level rise
9. Pollution
Household sewage &
urban waste water
Waste disposal from existing settlements and visiting fishing
boats

55.  Illegal logging starting from 2005 by using 3 chain-saw
 In 2012, increasing in numbers up to 28 chain-saw
 Mainly extracted from Lampi and Bo Cho Island.

65. 8 Sep 2012

79. Although fishing is prohibited inside the park boundaries, a variety of fishing gears are used by
subsistence and commercial fishermen for different catches.
Some have collection and carrying license from the Fishery Department and mostly haven’t
license.
Local fisher used fishing vessels of small-medium dimension and they have frequent disputes
with large fishing vessels illegally coming to catch near the shore destroying their traps and nets as

80. Dynamite fishing is common in Lampi area and it’s destructive effects are visible on the
corals around Lampi Island.

86. 7. Management Status
 No staff assigned on site but only on paper
 25 people were formally assigned as park staff (wardens and rangers), but they are
not yet present in the park.