Trashing Phuket

[stevenl]

So all those tropical fish they catch people with on Phuket are caught how.. Its regularly reported they are collected with cyanide.

Dynamite fishing reported by someone I know who lives up towards Ranong.

The tropical fish with which they catch people on Phuket are still alive, they're for sale.

[stevenl]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/thailand/182243-dynamite-fishing-near-phuket.html

Oddly your the second poster in the thread mentioning it here..

Lots and lots of hits when looking online.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2010/article8261.html

As I said in that thread (from 2007): there were problems in that specific area with dynamite fishing about 10 years ago. That would make it 1997, but still reason enough for you to claim I am saying there is dynamite fishing in the area.

And BTW: the problems in that area in 2007 were not dynamite but red tide.

You're correct with regards to cyanide though, I always presumed it was used (and I know it was used in the past that way) to kill fish, but apparently these days it is also used to stun the fish.

Edited March 2, 2011 by stevenl

[steelepulse]

>>You're correct with regards to cyanide though, I always presumed it was used (and I know it was used in the past that way) to kill fish, but apparently these days it is also used to stun the fish.

Unfortunately these fish always have a very short life in the aquarium trade. Most die within a few months after being collected via the cyanide method.

[ScubaBuddha]

As I said in that thread (from 2007): there were problems in that specific area with dynamite fishing about 10 years ago. That would make it 1997, but still reason enough for you to claim I am saying there is dynamite fishing in the area.

And BTW: the problems in that area in 2007 were not dynamite but red tide.

You're correct with regards to cyanide though, I always presumed it was used (and I know it was used in the past that way) to kill fish, but apparently these days it is also used to stun the fish.

Yes, that's where the word cyanotic comes from.

I still pretty regularly hear reports of dynamite fishing from dive staff working on livaboards. It seems the Thai fisherman go into Burmese waters to do it because there is no enforcement there. Sort of good news for Thai reefs I guess. The areas in Thailand frequented by divers don't suffer from dynamite fishing much anymore because the dive boats report it to authorities when they see it, another reason why closing the Similans to diving is a bad idea.

[amyb]

I already said it today--greed and irresponsible tourism are everywhere...as are corruption, crime, tuk tuk mafias and trash.

Tuk Tuk mafia are everywhere ?? Interesting idea..

As to destruction being everywhere.. Been to Palawan lately ?? The Perhentian Islands seem to be trying their best to resist mass tourism and short term money. Compare and contrast that to the fate of Lippe and the Turatao Isl here, Thailand just rushes to incredibly short term goals (dynamite fishing, cyanide'ing reefs, rampant unrestricted development etc). Its just one of these developing world things.

To me, Southeast Asia is not everywhere. Thanks for nitpicking, but I do believe you understood what I meant.