DASTA to promote fishing activities in Koh Chang

Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) will be promoting fishing activities in Koh Chang, Trat Province, as an installation of artificial coral reefs has created more marine animals.

Manager of the Koh Chang’s Designated Areas and Vicinity Administrative Office under DASTA, Prasart Rimchala (ประสาท ริมชลา) revealed that the office has cooperated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to organize fishing activities. Mr Prasart expected that tourists will be fond of the activities, adding that Trat Province has high potential on marine tourism.

Trat Province had earlier approved a budget to place artificial coral reefs under the sea for marine animals to breed and lay eggs. Marine animals have increased in great numbers after the installation had been completed.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 Febuary 2007

good ol' TNNBPRD...

sounds so odd... Install artificial reefs to encourage the return of fish whose populations have been decimated by environmental degradation and over-fishing.. and then BAM!.. promote fishing to take advantage of the new fish.

More total BS, the waters around Ko Chang are supposed to be protected already. Just go there and look off shore at all the lights of the hundreds of commercial fishing boats dragging up the corral and catching every single living thing not happy til they catch the very last fish. Maybe one should do a survey to see if they can find one boat crewman who can speak Thai for that matter, yea all the boats are Thai but not the crews. The one man one boat fishermen are not the problem around there, I doubt if most people would believe the large scale commercial fishing activity that goes within the boundries of the park.

I lived there for almost three years and I can tell you its not even worth bothering to cast a line in. The whole time I was there the local boys line fished and I saw one decent fish caught and that was a one kilo Cobia which they had never seen before and were not sure if you could even eat. The small boat local fishermen have been starved out and about the only thing they catch is a few stingrays. You can go to any peir in Florida and cast in and have the chance of catching a one kilo fish within the hour. When it happens in Ko Chang it is such a rare event the locals dont even know what the thing is, thats a story by itsself.

Build an aquarium and let 'em fish there!

Build an aquarium and let 'em fish there!

There's some nice trevally in the tank at Central Airport Shopping Centre in Chiang Mai that I've been tempted to drop a line into.