Thailands Coral Reefs 50% Gone: Phuket Marine Biologist

[webfact]

Thailand’s coral reefs 50% gone: Phuket marine biologist

Phuket Gazette

Hard corals, like this one off Koh Lanta, are at greatest risk. Photo: Quinet

Phuket Marine Biological Center director Pinsak Suraswadi: more than 50 per cent of Thailand’s coral reefs have been destroyed. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo

PHUKET: -- With coral reef systems in Thai coastal waters at a “crisis” level, the director of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) has vowed to step up his department’s efforts to mitigate the damage caused by the fishing industry and other human factors.

“Currently, our natural coral reefs are not half of what they used to be – we are in a crisis,” said PMBC director Pinsak Suraswadi on Tuesday.

“The areas that have been most seriously affected are those that are regularly exposed to human activity, such as off tourist destinations along the coast,” he added.

Though the entire region is in trouble, the Gulf of Thailand is at greater risk than the Andaman coast, he said.

“Abundant and beautiful coral reefs are now only found in national parks, such as the Surin Island and Similan Island reserves. In these places the coral is still world class."

“Closing National Parks has definitely been helpful in giving the corals time to recover from the pressure humans exert on the ecosystem,” he said, in reference to the annual closure from May through November.

The PMBC is attempting to prevent damage to coral reefs caused by the fishing industry through a variety of programs. One such program, established in Songkhla, involves the purchase of used fishing equipment in order to discourage fisherman from throwing rubbish, such as old netting, into the sea, he explained.

“Everyone can get involved in preserving our marine environment; it’s not just the responsibility of the government. Changes made in our daily lives, such as using less soap and fewer plastic bags, can really make a difference,” he said.

Mr Pinsak also made a push for the establishment of more artificial reefs in order to reduce the pressure on natural reef systems.

“It will reduce the effect the diving tourism industry has on the natural reefs. Artificial reefs, such as scuttled ships, will provide new diving destinations,” he said.

Mr Pinsak pointed out that the PMBC had recently become involved with the “Green Fins Project”, which encourages tourists to wear life jackets and keep their feet away from corals when snorkeling.

“Also, we ask tourists not to chase turtles in order to photograph them or feed marine animals,” he added.

Mr Pinsak made it clear that coordination and cooperation between all those concerned was necessary to prevent further degradation.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...gist-16758.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-08-25

[Greer]

A very good, but brief, article pointing out the dangers of uncontrolled tourism.

Perhaps it would be a good idea for the PMBC to pay a visit to their opposite numbers in Australia where they could study methods of control and conservation at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

I am sure, well I hope anyway, they are in touch with them already, but I know that the Great Barrier Reef faces exactly the same problems, and I do believe that the Australians have decent control systems in place to assist in the protection of these very valuable marine environments.

[BuckarooBanzai]

One of the most surprising results was that there seemed to be little difference between reefs maintained by conservationists and those left unprotected.

Dr Bruno and Ms Selig argue that the consistent pattern of decline across the study region adds to mounting evidence that coral loss is a global phenomenon.

This is probably due to large-scale processes such as climate change, they say.

This is likely to have a major impact on many island communities, which rely on the reefs for fisheries and tourism.

http://news.bbc.co.u...ure/6936634.stm

Note that the article quoted above is a little dated and things have continued to go down hill. This is a multifaceted problem and not just due to troublesome tourists. The OP is a good article but should look at the overall causal factors and not just a few.

[Greer]

Agree - but perhaps one of the "controllable" factors might be tourism - in Australia and I am sure other western countries, controlling access to the more fragile reefs, at least gives them "breathing space"... but I am also sure that there are, as you say, many other factors at play, and global climate change is sure to be one of them.

[Jimi007]

Agree - but perhaps one of the "controllable" factors might be tourism - in Australia and I am sure other western countries, controlling access to the more fragile reefs, at least gives them "breathing space"... but I am also sure that there are, as you say, many other factors at play, and global climate change is sure to be one of them.

Over development has done the most damage IMO. No decent sewage treatment, landslides, flooding on land results in silting and gross pollution of the Gulf as well as the Andaman Sea. The lack of decent infrastructure along with the unchecked development along Thailand's coastal areas is what is killing everything, including the coral.

[Chads]

dam_n. That's really sad.