Fish traps in Songkhla Lake to be dismantled

[webfact]

Fish traps in Songkhla Lake to be dismantled

SONGKHLA, 2 September 2014 (NNT) - Songkhla provincial authorities are set to remove full-fledged fish traps that are lying around areas of the Songkhla Lake in a bid to restore the environment.

Songkhla provincial governor Mr. Thamrong Charoenkul together with related agencies are working together to create understanding among local fishermen about the reasons for the removal of these traps, which will begin on September 16.

Afterwards, the authorities would dredge shallow areas of the lake to create deeper water in order to improve waterway traffic for large cargo boats and marine police patrol boats.

The move is to rehabilitate environment within the lake and restore it to its natural state.


-- NNT 2014-09-02

[marsstar14]

FYI, this is how bad it looks.

[phuketsub]

This will affect a lot of people's finances and will not be easily accomplished; it will have to involve the Patthalung administration as well.

In Ranode they have an expression: "When the fresh water meets the sea water, it will be the end of Ranode." [Ranode is Songkhla's northernmost district, part of the flat, narrow expanse that divides Thai Gulf from Songkla Lake.

I spoke to the guy who is making a museum at the Burapachan Complex Historical Museum there and he says there are maps made by colonial-era French that show that was the case a several hundreds of years ago. .

Wikipedia says the sand spit from Songkhla town to Ranode was once an archipelago and that Songkhla Lake is now essentially a vast lagoon. That makes sense to me. I don't think there is a single natural spot in the whole area between Songkhla Lake and the Gulf where the land is more than a few meters above sea level.

Most of the shoreline between Songkhla Town and Nakhon Sri Thammarat has eroded about 20 meters already over the last 60-70 years. This has been confirmed by many people I have spoken to who have witnessed it in their own lifetimes.

The Songkhla drainage basin is huge. If you take a pee in Sadao, that water has to flow all the way through Haad Yai, into Songkhla Lake and eventually ends up is the sea through the only outlet at Songkhla Town. If you look at the area around the channel there you can see all the deposits, which is why they constantly have to dredge it. Of course that's no surprise since it is where all the sediment carried over such a vast area ends up.

However, this report looks about as shallow as the parts of the lake they want to dredge (and/or are already dredging in Songkhla Town).

The idea of returning it "to its natural state" is ridiculous, since its natural condition is one of constant change. I won't even comment on the need for better navigation by certain authorities.

What is happening here is that all the sediment that is transported from the catchment area is eventually deposited on the lakebed (the one dam does not help) or along the coastline, which should help create a barrier against monsoon-season erosion as it is transported north-south along the shoreline. That has not been the case, clearly. Just look at Samila Beach. (see pix)

I see far more big ships anchored offshore Songkhla Harbor than I ever did when I last lived here about 10 years ago. I presume it is because they can't get into the harbor under most tidal conditions. I hope the offshore experts will correct me if I am wrong about that.

In the long run, dredging is about as futile as the efforts they are making to stop coastal erosion by dumping rocks and sandbags on the beach. They do, of course, pay dividends to those that commission the work and those that carry it out. It's just the southern version of the 'flood control' work budgets that gave us the 2011 floods.

From what I have observed in the last few months, I would say there is no long-term study and/or management of this issue whatsoever; certainly none that take global warming/ rising sea level estimates into account.

A playground with a SUPER sandbox!

Samila Beach: where coastal erosion meets tourism promotion.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Interesting.

[Seastallion]

FYI, this is how bad it looks.

I think it is picturesque. How many of these fisherman have been doing this for generations? It could be argued that they are traditional lifestyles.

Not many of them would have the wherewithal to legally challenge the move to uproot them. There must be a better way.

[weegee]

""I see far more big ships anchored offshore Songkhla Harbor than I ever did when I last lived here about 10 years ago. I presume it is because they can't get into the harbor under most tidal conditions. I hope the offshore experts will correct me if I am wrong about that."""

​The ships are anchored outside the port because of the day rates (Cost) to be alongside the Wharf...The outer Harbour is owned by Singaporeans, then the leasers have to make money...it's very expensive and the shipping companies here are getting lousy Day rates for their vessels....

Anchoring outside the Port limits is FREE....Nothing to do with tides....It's Financial decisions, bought about by everyone involved making a buck on the side.

[phuketsub]

""I see far more big ships anchored offshore Songkhla Harbor than I ever did when I last lived here about 10 years ago. I presume it is because they can't get into the harbor under most tidal conditions. I hope the offshore experts will correct me if I am wrong about that."""

​The ships are anchored outside the port because of the day rates (Cost) to be alongside the Wharf...The outer Harbour is owned by Singaporeans, then the leasers have to make money...it's very expensive and the shipping companies here are getting lousy Day rates for their vessels....

Anchoring outside the Port limits is FREE....Nothing to do with tides....It's Financial decisions, bought about by everyone involved making a buck on the side.

Thank you very much for sharing that insight; much appreciated.