Thailand's Coral Crisis Part Of National Agenda

[webfact]

Coral crisis part of national agenda

By The Nation

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is planning to make "efforts against coralbleaching" a national agenda.

"We will seriously solve this problem," Songtham Suksawang said yesterday in his capacity as the head of DNP nationalparks division.

Many diving sites at famous marine national parks in the Andaman Sea have been closed to tourists since January 21 after coral bleaching killed a large portion of reefs.

"We will propose zoning for diving attractions," Songtham said.

He added that admissionfee hike and the ceiling on the number of tourists each day might also be used to protect the coral reefs.

Songtham was speaking during a brainstorming session on the coralbleaching crisis.

The event drew in academics, divers, government officials, and representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Prince of Songkla University lecturer Sakanan Plathong said coral reefs could be restored in many areas if relevant parties could minimise disruptive activities.

Sakanan called for the closing of diving sites and creation of artificial reefs.

"Constructions near the sea must also be strictly regulated," he added.

For Sea Foundation secretary Vittayen Muttamara, who also serves as the secretary to a PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey, said he would submit the information gathered from the brainstorming session to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva next Tuesday.

Apart from the coral bleaching, the session also heard about admissionfee corruption at marine national parks.

An independent diving guide said he recently brought a tour group to a national park in the Andaman Sea and found officials offering him a 40percent discount on admission fees if he did not demand receipts or tickets.

"DNP should look into the matter," he said.

TAT representative Kulpramote Wannalert said a 2010 survey found that Thailand's sea was the most powerful magnet.

"Coralbleaching news has not made any big impact on tourism yet," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-29

[asiawatcher]

Whist diving may be a nice recreation I don't think tourism will suffer if they cannot dive in all sites. It's not exactly a power attraction with huge numbers. But certainly there needs to be a lot more selective checking of vessels carrying the divers as they are usually well painted but poorly maintained in motor or sanitary environments on board. Having been recently filming in some of the prize sites, there was a noticeable slick and stench of diesel across a large section of the island areas we were at as well as the stench of feces. But who checks them? Is there an annual licensing check for seaworthiness and compliance?

[AleG]

How about fishing? the legal overfishing and the illegal one too?

That's the greatest threat by far and ZERO mention by officials?

I've done about 70 dives in Thailand in the last three years, do you know how many sharks I've seen?, essential part of a marine and reef ecosystems, ZERO! I know some people have seen them, but my guess is that population must be under 90% of what it should/used to be.

Have you ever seen a freshly trawled sea bottom? looks like those japanese pebble gardens, raked neatly. Nothing living left to see.

I've never seen large groups of pelagics (ocean going fish) neither, like you can see in Malaysia for example. All netted and eaten.

And they look forward to doubling the tuna fishing fleet in Phuket...

We can't control the warming of the waters (well, besides getting our asses in gear about doing something effective about CO2 emissions), but over fishing can be controlled, however, alas!, ignore the main problem and blame the divers. It is to cry.

Over exploiting the waters in and around the Marine Parks is the Number One cause of their reefs decline. For example, the dead corals I saw last New Year in the Similans were covered in algae, that means that there are not enough fish to feed on the algae and keep it from choking the corals. A healthy reef is like a well kept garden, and over fished reef looks like an abandoned empty lot, overgrown with weeds and vermin.

[KeyserSoze01]

Right, they must get the diving areas open again so the graft can continue. We all know how the Thais treat the environment, which is horrible. So why should things change now? No, it's all about the $$ as usual in the kingdom.

Edited January 29, 2011 by KeyserSoze01

[tlansford]

Right, they must get the diving areas open again so the graft can continue. We all know how the Thais treat the environment, which is horrible. So why should things change now? No, it's all about the $ as usual in the kingdom.

For you who care about corals, allow me to propose that we all please dedicate time and/or money to groups which can help. In Thailand, for example, there are Reef Check dive bases in the Gulf and on the west coast. There are other groups as well. These people are doing real projects to protect the corals.

Here is a video done in March 2010 - just weeks before the warm waters began bleaching the corals

and the gentleman interviewed runs Eco Koh Tao. The train reef check divers, have at least 2 coral nurseries going, did Buoyancy World (as in the video) with SaveKohTao, and (like many many dive bases) organize clean-up dives every couple of weeks. Their site is : http://www.ecokohtao.com/

And these groups, although farang organizations, work with the local Thai authorities as well, ... and also on land-projects (especially things that impact run-off and sediment, ie : things that kill corals...)

Cheers!

[bangon04]

Very high on the National Agenda.

Just a few places below "Map-Reading for Beginners"