Oil Spill: Trader criticizes officials guzzling seafood - says the damage to health is long term

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reporters went to Mae Ram Pheung beach in Rayong and found some very angry people who were not taken in by the official rhetoric that eating seafood in the area was safe after the devastating oil spill in the area. 

 

Their story - in the biggest media in Thailand - featured a woman seafood restaurant owner who was scathing of officials happily  guzzling seafood in an apparent effort to inspire consumer confidence.

 

Baitong Seafood owner Samruay, 46, said you could eat the seafood once and not get sick.

 

But better than a PR picture was to tell the truth that continued eating of seafood affected by the oil spill would surely cause longer term health problems. 

 

For now her and other traders were losing 1,500 - 2,000 baht a day but longer term was what she was more concerned about.

 

The authorities could bang on about providing temporary help but the company responsible for the spill - SPRC - needed to be held accountable for everything. 

 

She claimed that harmful substances would build up in the body of people eating infected seafood. 

 

Local fisherman Nattapong, 50, said that he'd been fishing there was 25 years. 

 

He said that the adverse results of the  chemicals sprayed in the area would be seen for 10 years, a hundred years to come. 

 

His colleagues were losing income now as no fishing was possible. 

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The media found tourists on the beach ignoring red flags as the waves crashed in. 

 

A 200 meter long "beach boom" was not in the sea but washed up on the shore. 

 

There were many dead shellfish.

 

A quick glance at the area revealed no immediate evidence of oil but as the trader and fisherman said, that may be a false conclusion that everything was okay. 

 

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[RandiRona]

Well I guess a little more grease on the food may add more taste to it.....They should charge more for premarinated cuisines of Maritime!

????‍♀️

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

There were many dead shellfish.

Yet officials are quick to make a PR stunt as they usually do by eating produce in public.

[Thingamabob]

This is a long term disaster. The alleged 'clean up' has done enormous damage. Utterly disgraceful.

[kidneyw]

Samruay sounds like a very smart lady.

[worgeordie]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

A 200 meter long "beach boom" was not in the sea but washed up on the shore. 

Maintenance  ,not a priority , have they fixed those Tsunami buoys yet ? 

regards worgeordie