Diving Sites In Thailand To Be Closed For A Month

[webfact]

ENVIRONMENT

Diving sites to be closed for a month

By The Nation

More than a dozen diving sites in seven national marine parks will be closed today for at least a month as authorities seek ways to arrest coral bleaching, leaving many southern tourism operators fuming.

"We will give the coral reefs time to recover naturally," Sunan Arunnopparat, directorgeneral of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, said yesterday.

More than 80 per cent of the coral in the areas were suffering from bleaching, he said, adding that the suspension of diving activities was introduced in consultation with academics.

The places to be made offlimits to visitors include Chuak Island of Chao Mai Beach National Park in Trang; Bulone Mai Pai and Bulone Rang Pheung Islands of Petra Islands National Park in Satun; Takiang Island, Hin Ngam Island, Rawi Island, Sai Khao Beach and Dong Island of Tarutao National Park in Satun; and Maphrao Island of Chumphon Islands National Park.

In Phang Nga, the sites are Hin Klang of Nopparat TharaPhi Phi Islands National Park; Suthep Bay, Mai Ngam Bay, Stork Island, Hin Kong and Pakkad Bay of Surin Islands National Park (coralreef area in front of the national park office); and Fai Wap Bay and Eve of Eden of Similan Islands National Park.

Sunan said the whitening is caused by various factors such as El Nino, chemicals, changes in coastal conditions and disruptive human activities.

"Coral reefs can recover from bleaching if the sea conditions turn fine. We should suspend diving activities to reduce pollution," he said.

The department would also adopt other measures such as limiting admissions to national parks and campaigning to make tourists more conscious of the environment.

Tourism operators in the South voiced opposition to the department's latest move.

Torpong Wongsathienchai, whose company offers diving tours to Similan Islands and Surin Islands in Phang Nga, said authorities were not aiming at the root problem.

"The move will hardly be useful. In fact, national marine parks have been closed to tourists for about six months out of the year all along," he said.

Authorities should implement strict measures to reduce oil spills from boats and promote environmentallyresponsible tourism, he said.

"When you close diving sites, you must think about the whole impact on the tourism industry. What about hotel operators? Will they get any guests?" he said.

If the hotel business was depressed, employees would face dire consequences too, he added.

Thawat Niranartwarodom, owner of the Bayfront Khao Lak Resort and Spa, said most travellers came to the Andaman Sea because they want to explore the marvellous snorkelling attractions.

"When we sell them tour packages, we show them our beautiful seas and islands. What will they say if they find they can't visit the places being advertised?" he asked.

Authorities should educate tour guides on how best to protect the environment instead of slapping a blanket ban on prime diving destinations, he added.

-- The Nation 2011-01-21

[H2oDunc]

Acording to a leading UK newspaper the ban is indefinite ?

Bad news all round as Thailand is suffering from a big drop in tourists as it is and this will only add to the problem. How long till it hits us here on the Gulf side ?

Link here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1349053/Thailand-bans-diving-protect-huge-swathes-coral-reefs.html

[Crushdepth]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

[joefromdc]

Acording to a leading UK newspaper the ban is indefinite ?

Bad news all round as Thailand is suffering from a big drop in tourists as it is and this will only add to the problem. How long till it hits us here on the Gulf side ?

Link here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1349053/Thailand-bans-diving-protect-huge-swathes-coral-reefs.html

I thought there wasn't much coral (if any) on the Gulf side?

[FarangBuddha]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

You said it baby...the over-fishing in the area is what really degrades the reefs...I guess the fishing operators paid "influential people" more than the dive operators in order to get them out of their way. The fishing fleets don't like having dive boats around monitoring and taking photographs of their illegal activities.

And what a hoot...divers cause coral bleaching...reminds me of the Thai minister who visited Pattaya and declared that she saw no evidence of prostitution taking place

[brahmburgers]

Good to hear Thai authorities are doing some husbandry for the seas off the coast. It's a small step, but appreciated. Lots more needs to be done. One month respite? How about five years? And what's being done about trash dumping up and down all Thai coasts? I used to visit Thailand's beaches, but each year there was more trash strewn about, so now I go visit other places.

[reason1]

Only way for corals to recover is to stop all people from damaging them, so have use areas and recovery areas in each location and rotate them plus have marshals monitoring usage and limiting damage, hard corals will take years to recover. They are a national treasure and should be treated as such.

[AleG]

"When we sell them tour packages, we show them our beautiful seas and islands. What will they say if they find they can't visit the places being advertised?" he asked.

As opposed to showing beautiful islands and sea life and delivering overcrowded, littered beaches, seas bereft of any fish big enough to fill a plate and dying, murky, reefs...

While I don't like to see some areas on the parks closed it is sadly necessary to curtail the over exploitation of the islands. However the singling out of divers rubs me the wrong way since they are (IMHO) the least cause of damage to the islands and the ecosystem. As long as dive boats have septic tanks and don't leak oil (which should be fairly easy to monitor) the impact is absolutely minimal, on the other hand hordes of snorkeling day trippers trampling over the corals, feeding fish and dropping garbage everywhere are more of a threat. I do like snorkeling and do it responsibly, but most day trippers either don't give a hoot, know no better or are oblivious to the damage they can cause; at the very least tour operators should be required to educate their costumers over correct behaviour while snorkeling and visiting beaches (they have plenty of time during the boat transit to the sites); they should also be required to closely monitor what they costumers do inside the national parks.

Illegal fishing is of course the worst culprit by far. Unsurprisingly it haven't warranted a single peep in all the official statements about the issue.

Last time I went diving in the Similans, when doing the pre-dive briefing the maps of the dive sites showed many "Broken Fishtrap" landmarks. Now this is in well known dive sites, concerning fishing using traps and just the traps that couldn't be retrieved by the fishermen, the amount of illegal fishing that goes on outside the dive sites and using methods that leave less conspicuous evidence must be staggering.

Having said all that, a one month closure is pretty much useless.

Edited January 21, 2011 by AleG

[Deeral]

Acording to a leading UK newspaper the ban is indefinite ?

Bad news all round as Thailand is suffering from a big drop in tourists as it is and this will only add to the problem. How long till it hits us here on the Gulf side ?

Link here

http://www.dailymail...oral-reefs.html

THailand is NOT suffering from a big drop in tourists - on the contrary, figures are up.

[Deeral]

Sadly this small step will be insufficient to have any benefit but will be sufficient to give the impression - falsely - that the Thai govt has done something. That wil then be as far as it goes and thew corals will be lost.

[Crushdepth]

I thought there wasn't much coral (if any) on the Gulf side?

There's quite a lot, particularly around the islands.

[ChoakMyDee]

Acording to a leading UK newspaper the ban is indefinite ?

Bad news all round as Thailand is suffering from a big drop in tourists as it is and this will only add to the problem. How long till it hits us here on the Gulf side ?

Link here

http://www.dailymail...oral-reefs.html

Where do you get your information?

I just flew out of Thailand and the Bangkok airport was packed with people coming and going...Immigration room was full...doesn't appear to be a drop in tourism.

[Spalpeen]

"Thai Academics" strike again. It's not hard to guess what will happen as soon as the divers are not there to report illegal fishing. And how many businesses can afford to simply close down for a month?

[Deeral]

I thought there wasn't much coral (if any) on the Gulf side?

There's quite a lot, particularly around the islands.

Thailand does not rate in the world top twenty when it comes to area of corals - it has quite a small amount relatively speaking which is all the more reason for saving it.I doubt though if any poster could voice confidence that the Thai govt will be up to the job.

With the typical mix of corruption and resistance to outside help and advice, I'd say this VALUABLE natural resource is doomed.

3 of the four major coral areas in Thailand are inn the gulf.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Deeral

[Deeral]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

Yes it does - anything that stresses corals can lead to bleaching.

[yellow1red1]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

yes, there was bleaching before snorkelling was invented. Most cause is periods of calm seas and sun can strike, warm water.

Lots of boats, divers, providing shade, acting up turbidity is actually helpful.

breaking off pieces with hands is harmful, but that is not bleaching.

Bleaching is sunny days, calm water, warm water. not divers.

Taking away boats making waves will make bleaching worse.\

sun can shine in more.

Thai academics, as if, paid bribe money for diploma!

[webfact]

Diving sites in Thai South close indefinitely for coral rehabilitation

BANGKOK, Jan 21 – Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on Friday began the indefinite closure of diving sites in the country's national marine parks in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea for coral rehabilitation.

Director-General Sunun Arunnopparat said the problem of coral bleaching is the most severe in ten years, so the department has opted to close a number of diving sites in national marine parks including Had Nopparatthara-Mu Ko Phi Phi in Krabi, Mu Ko Chumphon in Chumpon, Had Chao Mai in Trang, Ao Phangnga and Mu Ko Similan in Phangnga, and Mu Ko Preta and Tarutao in Satun.

It is expected that it will take about five years for coral revival, Mr Sanun said.

The department set up a committee to work with researchers from universities to find the cause of coral bleaching and measures to solve the problem. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-01-21

[yellow1red1]

They should do an experiment. put poles and canopies underwater to make some shaded areas. keep the sunburn off.

[Deeral]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

yes, there was bleaching before snorkelling was invented. Most cause is periods of calm seas and sun can strike, warm water.

Lots of boats, divers, providing shade, acting up turbidity is actually helpful.

breaking off pieces with hands is harmful, but that is not bleaching.

Bleaching is sunny days, calm water, warm water. not divers.

Taking away boats making waves will make bleaching worse.\

sun can shine in more.

Thai academics, as if, paid bribe money for diploma!

I don't think you actually know what "bleaching" is let alone what the causes are.

There are many people on this site expressing opinions that are simply not based on anything but their own prejudices.

[Deeral]

"t is expected that it will take about five years for coral revival, Mr Sanun said.

The department set up a committee to work with researchers from universities to find the cause of coral bleaching and measures to solve the problem. (MCOT online news)"

this makes you want to weep.Where does he get the figure of 5 years from?

and then followed by "to find the cause of coral bleaching and measures to solve the problem" - this is the kind of response a 10 year old would put in his essay on coral.

What makes him so sure that the problem can be "solved" by setting up a committee?There is a wealth of research information on coral already and Thailand has chose to ignore it - yet this one nabob thinks that is all going to change now.

how will this program be integrated with the increase in industry and tourism, fishing, climate change, pollution etc etc

[Macmundi]

Take a look at Maldives, year 98 temperature rose and corals died. They tried to regrow them. To this day, stil not normal. People go there just to enjoy the nice resorts, but not for the diving anymore. This is happening to Thailand now. Soon people will forget this diving destination. So, to all you hotels and tour guides, I think it's time to find a new career.

[doughpat]

Here we go:

Bleaching is caused by increased temperatures. Fact. MANY studies have confirmed this, and it's a worldwide problem.

Increased temperatures is caused by EITHER human-caused climate change OR natural warming and cooling cycles, not divers.

People care about reefs only when they can ENJOY them (i.e. dive them, fish them, or make money from divers).

The best way to get people to forget about protecting the reefs is to not allow them to enjoy the reefs. It actually makes sense to encourage people to see the reefs, and the damage they have suffered. I also agree that banning dive boats is a great way to decrease surveillance of the reef, therefore letting illegal fishing increase.

It's time that we realize that climate change is happening, it's not going to stop (humans aren't about to change their consumption patterns), and we need to help our world (including the reefs) adapt. My idea: make artificial reefs in areas of slightly cooler waters, seed them with corals, and help them make a "fast-forward" migration.

[asiawatcher]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

Agree - diving definitely does not cause any bleaching - but the pollutants from the crappy dive boats 'may' contribute but most of the spillage sits on the surface and does not affect the corals. A blanket ban on diving will hit the failing tourism hard - more mindless decisions from Government.

Edited January 21, 2011 by asiawatcher

[dude007]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

That's where the pressure is coming from: too many divers are disturbing the illegal fishing in these coral reefs! These fishermen, who clearly inflict the most of the damage to these coral reefs, are disturbed by all these divers around who are "protecting" by their presence these reefs from damage.

Everyone who has been diving in Thailand on coral reefs has seen with his own eyes what kind of damage these fishermen are making... nets all over the diving grounds and broken corals...

Diving is a sport which is much more practiced by farangs than by Thais. Most of the diving business is in hands of farangs and by closing these popular diving grounds (nearby Khaolak e.g.), they are catching two flies in one stroke: paralyse these diving businesses and truning a blind eye again to the illegal fishing...

Indeed, who can explain me what the correlation is between bleaching and diving? Soon we will read that some skies will be closed for sky-divers as they might get entangled in the ropes of the kytes, flown by local Thais in the villages...

[dude007]

Here we go:

Bleaching is caused by increased temperatures. Fact. MANY studies have confirmed this, and it's a worldwide problem.

Increased temperatures is caused by EITHER human-caused climate change OR natural warming and cooling cycles, not divers.

People care about reefs only when they can ENJOY them (i.e. dive them, fish them, or make money from divers).

The best way to get people to forget about protecting the reefs is to not allow them to enjoy the reefs. It actually makes sense to encourage people to see the reefs, and the damage they have suffered. I also agree that banning dive boats is a great way to decrease surveillance of the reef, therefore letting illegal fishing increase.

It's time that we realize that climate change is happening, it's not going to stop (humans aren't about to change their consumption patterns), and we need to help our world (including the reefs) adapt. My idea: make artificial reefs in areas of slightly cooler waters, seed them with corals, and help them make a "fast-forward" migration.

doughpat, my congratulations with your first posting! It's a good one!

[softgeorge]

Acording to a leading UK newspaper the ban is indefinite ?

Bad news all round as Thailand is suffering from a big drop in tourists as it is and this will only add to the problem. How long till it hits us here on the Gulf side ?

Link here

http://www.dailymail...oral-reefs.html

I am currently looking at the thai newspaper that we are not allowed to mention here and it says 14 months. In black and white says 18 sites closed for 14 months. would tell you the name of the leading thai newspaper but it is forbidden here.

[Deeral]

Here we go:

Bleaching is caused by increased temperatures. Fact. MANY studies have confirmed this, and it's a worldwide problem.

Increased temperatures is caused by EITHER human-caused climate change OR natural warming and cooling cycles, not divers.

People care about reefs only when they can ENJOY them (i.e. dive them, fish them, or make money from divers).

The best way to get people to forget about protecting the reefs is to not allow them to enjoy the reefs. It actually makes sense to encourage people to see the reefs, and the damage they have suffered. I also agree that banning dive boats is a great way to decrease surveillance of the reef, therefore letting illegal fishing increase.

It's time that we realize that climate change is happening, it's not going to stop (humans aren't about to change their consumption patterns), and we need to help our world (including the reefs) adapt. My idea: make artificial reefs in areas of slightly cooler waters, seed them with corals, and help them make a "fast-forward" migration.

No sir =- bleaching is caused by STRESS - a major cause of this stress can be water temp but it is not the only cause.bleaching is the result of the release of "symbiotic" algae from the corals - this is controlled by the corals themselves, stress causes them to release too many and the result is bleaching.

[rayw]

Since diving does not cause coral bleaching, this is basically a useless move. Still no word on the fishing boats, I suppose?

Absolutely correct and yet another ill thought out legislation from incapable and probably low intelligence officials. As long as dive masters ensure their guests DO NOT damage the corals by knocking into them etc. there should be no impact on coral bleaching as far as diving is concerned. So surely before divers are allowed into the actual coral areas it should be ensured that they have a diving certificate at least a PADI OPen Water certificate to show they are capable of properly controlling their buoyancy under water and have learned respect for the natural environment they are diving in. There are indeed many suspected causes for coral bleaching but proper respectful and responsible diving is really not one of them. Maybe the authorities should enforce more controls on the diving tour operators, rather than idiotically banning it, thus ensuring with good controls that nobody dives into the actual coral areas without at least a PADI Open Water certificate (which with good training and application you can get in about 5 days with say 10 supervised training dives). Proper dive training courses for PADI Open Water should be good business here as it is cheaper than the USA or most other areas in the world.

Only thing that worries me here is the Thai peoples insane obsessive love of money above all else, so I can see folk paying a couple of thousand Baht and virtually given their PADI certificate, really hope this never happens but makes you think with everything else that you can just "buy" here, TiT. It is the natural environment and of course people's well being that matters, not bloody money for moneys sake, so soon as this country grows up, starts using their brains and gets wise to that fact then there is little hope of any serious improvement here, but still I love it here with all the warts but oh how much better it could be with a change in attitude; sure a pipe dream I know!!

[bobmac10]

I have been reading all the posts on this subject an yet I am astounded that despite all the opinions, and that's all they are, no-one has given the real cause of coral bleaching.

The primary cause of coral bleaching is high water temperature. Temperature increases of only 1.5–2°C lasting for six to eight weeks are enough to trigger bleaching. When high temperatures persist for more than eight weeks, corals begin to die. Many other stressors can also cause bleaching including sedimentation, pollutants and changes in salinity. These stressors usually operate at local scales. Elevated water temperature is of greater concern as it can affect reefs at regional to global scales. When bleaching occurs at these large spatial scales, it is a mass bleaching event.

This information is from the University of Queensland, marine sciences, which is monitoring coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef.

Therefore, it is obvious that the banning of diving on the reefs is not going to cause the sea temperature to drop down to pre-bleaching levels.

It is a gobal phenomenom that is being attributed to the global waring trend.

[Deeral]

Diving and the activities surrounding it (boats, surface activity, urine etc) DOES contribute to coral bleaching.you're working from an incorrect premise.

Furthermore bleaching makes coral intrinsically weaker - both in eco-sysem and structure so it is then even more susceptible to damage by divers and other human visitors.