KOH SAMET
Expert differs with report on Koh Samet
TANPISIT LEARDBAMRUNGCHAI
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- EVEN THOUGH a researcher says that Koh Samet's Ao Phrao is recovering naturally, with the number of marine organisms in the area rising, an academic disagreed, saying the ecosystem was not normal yet and that the coral reef had been bleached.

Local residents and business operators are also calling for greater rehabilitation measures and compensation for damages caused by an oil leak by PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) off Rayong province on June 27 last year.

Burapha University's aquatic scientist Vichaya Gunbua presented reporters his findings from the affected area during an inspection trip on Wednesday. During the trip, Vichaya claimed that marine life like giant clams, flower crabs, damselfish and rainbow fish as well as sea urchins and species such as lancelet had returned to the area, suggesting that seawater there was clean.

The number of benthos, a community of organisms that live on, near or in the seabed, had also risen at Mae Rumphueng, Suan Son, Ao Phrao and Ao Wongduan beaches, he said.

However, Thon Thamrongnawa-sawat, deputy dean at Kasetsart University's Faculty of Fisheries who has also been conducting a study in the area, said the number of marine organisms at Ao Phrao was still less compared to other beaches. A normal beach with a normal ecosystem should have 10 organisms per square metre, but Ao Phrao did not, he said.

"I admit that there are more benthos [organisms] and it's getting better, but it has not yet returned to normal," he added.

Thon said another worrying indication of the ecosystem's abnormal conditions was the bleaching of the coral reef caused by the oil spill.

Meanwhile, a source said a satellite image released by Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency showed that the oil leak had also affected tambon Ban Phe, Pak Nam along the Rayong coast, even though PTTGC had reportedly used chemicals to dissolve the black oil slicks.

Separately, Sutharak Kijthawee, a fisherman in tambon Pak Nam who has joined 445 fellow fishermen to sue PTTGC for Bt400 million, insisted that the spill had had adversely affected their livelihood.

He said many fishermen now had to either fish in Chumphon province or take up labour jobs for Bt300 daily.

"I want related agencies to provide us with information about rehabilitation progress and solutions. I have noticed many fish mysteriously dying and sometimes tar balls sweep ashore," he added.

Bang Kracher Fishermen's Group head Weerasak Khongnarong said the fishermen's logs on their catches - which show that their catches had shrunk by 80 per cent after the leak - would be used as evidence in court.

Meanwhile, TAT reported that 143,854 tourists had visited Samet from January to May, or 9,303 more compared to the same period last year. TAT's Rayong Office director Chuchat Oncharoen credited the increase to TAT's image-restoring activities and said August 2013 saw 8,436 visitors to Koh Samet while December 2013 saw 21,036 arrivals.

However, Saravoot Wannaprasert, manager of Ao Phrao Resort, said the number of guests at his hotel had dropped by 20 per cent after the oil spill.

"I hope things return to normal during high season in November," he said, adding that the resort also had to close temporarily for three months after the incident. He said that though PTTGC had provided some compensation, it was not enough to cover the damages.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Expert-differs-with-report-on-Koh-Samet-30239976.html

[thenation]2014-08-01[/thenation]

I have to be suspicious of K. Vichaya' report.....

It is quite impossible for an area to recover from a pretty large oil spill in such a short time.........it's usually years and then never to the condition it once was....bleached coral rarely recovers...

 

"Bang Kracher Fishermen's Group head Weerasak Khongnarong said the fishermen's logs on their catches - which show that their catches had shrunk by 80 per cent after the leak - would be used as evidence in court."

 

"Fishermen's logs" cannot possibly be made up can they? The only numbers that should be admissable in court are the numbers they use when they pay income tax / corporate tax. Unfortunately for the fishermen, those numbers are likely zero!
 

I know for a fact that the company that PTT used for the clean up used at least 20 times to recommended dosage. This chemical isn't used in many other countries either as it is allegedly carcinogenic.

I live in Rayong city and won't let my family anywhere near the sea in the area from Mataput to Ban Phae.

The closest beach i will use in Mae Lame Phim, 

"However, Saravoot Wannaprasert, manager of Ao Phrao Resort, said the number of guests at his hotel had dropped by 20 per cent after the oil spill."

 

Again, let the court see the figures supplied to the revenue department in past years.

 

Further, I think Khun Saravoot has conveniently forgotten about political trouble and the coup. Koh Samet is not immune to that, and most hotels in the country have been down by at least 20%.
 

I said here a year ago that I wouldn't swim in the seas off Koh Samet for at least five or ten years, I forget which. This is and has been from the start a whitewash aimed at restoring tourism there as quickly as possible. Go there by all means but swim in the sea at your peril.

I said here a year ago that I wouldn't swim in the seas off Koh Samet for at least five or ten years, I forget which. This is and has been from the start a whitewash aimed at restoring tourism there as quickly as possible. Go there by all means but swim in the sea at your peril.

 

I had some friends who died there recently, and they did not even swim in the sea there, they died just by looking at it!!

Thai Research Council: Thailand unprepared for oil spill response
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Aug 1 -- The National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT) finalised its report on lessons from the oil spill accident one year ago, pointing out that the public sector and relevant agencies must be prepared in all aspects in case such as incident reoccurs.

The Council and the Thailand Environment Institute Foundation (TEI) have chosen the oil spill incident in Rayong province on July 27 last year as a study sample and concluded that oil spills of this magnitude have a grave impact on the environment in many aspects. Though the impacts have lessened over time, and while society has put the incident behind, the report suggests that national agencies must remain alert to the potential dangers of such spills..

Both agencies agreed that the incident reflected Thailand has failed in the area of environmental governance, because although there was a prevention plan against such an incident, in practice there was no readiness to act or clear solutions for what should be done afterwards.

Without post-incident measures for such a situation, the country failed to clear up the oil slick as quickly and efficiently as it should have done. Information advisories were not coherent, but were mixed up and confusing. No leadership emerged to deal with the aftermath; which represented the weakness of Thai academics and institutions.

Reviewing what was and wasn't done last year, the two agencies have provided five strategies to handle future oil spill incidents.

Responses must include analysis of the cause of the incident, how to properly control the spread of the oil slick on the sea, measures to clean up the oil slicks on Ao Prao Beach. They also stressed that all operational processes of relevant sectors must be connected, and that the effects of the incident on the environment and ecological system must be studied thoroughly.

Additionally, both agencies have advised a new prevention and elimination plan for water pollution from oil leaks to be created urgently and that adjustments should be done to the structure and function of the Committee for Oil Spill Prevention and Eradication.

The NRCT has already presented the proposed changes to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and will later notify the change to other concerned agencies. (MCOT online news)

[tna]2014-08-01[/tna]

I have to be suspicious of K. Vichaya' report.....

It is quite impossible for an area to recover from a pretty large oil spill in such a short time.........it's usually years and then never to the condition it once was....bleached coral rarely recovers...

 

 

Couldn't they both be right? Numbers are increasing but they aren't back to normal yet. They both say there is an increase in the sea life.

"report on lessons from the oil spill accident"

 

The agencies talk about their failure to adequately handle the spills but nowhere do I see mention the responsibility of businesses that perpetated the contamination to handle the spills. Those businesses should be able to demonstrate at anytime to the agencies that IF such an event occurred, they are adequetely prepared with men and materials to control and clean the contamination. The State can assist with training, expedite transportation  and inspections but why should it bear the full cost of mitigation? If a business cannot  prove to the State that it is prepared to handle an spill emergency, it doesn't operate within Thai nautical jurisdiction.

"report on lessons from the oil spill accident"
 
The agencies talk about their failure to adequately handle the spills but nowhere do I see mention the responsibility of businesses that perpetated the contamination to handle the spills. Those businesses should be able to demonstrate at anytime to the agencies that IF such an event occurred, they are adequetely prepared with men and materials to control and clean the contamination. The State can assist with training, expedite transportation  and inspections but why should it bear the full cost of mitigation? If a business cannot  prove to the State that it is prepared to handle an spill emergency, it doesn't operate within Thai nautical jurisdiction.

This spill is nowhere beyond the capability of PTT to solve. Its a tiny island and its only 20 miles from their blinking refinery.

They can have an army of people down there every weekend for a year and scoop up every dirty bit of sand and clean it or replace.

Why they haven't solved this I have no clue.