Patong Seaweed Safe

[george]

Patong seaweed safe

PHUKET: -- Findings released yesterday have ended fears that seaweed found in Patong Beach waters may be poisonous, a Sea and Coastal Resources and Environment Department official said.

The principal cause of the fears among tourists has been untreated waste released into the water from hotels and eateries in the area, said deputy department director-general Udom Patiyasewee.

Green kelp has been washing ashore along more than six kilometres of beach in tambon Patong in Phuket province, keeping tourists away from the beach, he said.

The Institution for Research on Sea and Coastal Resources has identified seaweed collected from the area to be ulva reticulata, a species that is non-toxic and harmless to humans, Udom said. When the weeds entangle the body they may be a nuisance but they are not irritating to the skin, he added.

--The Nation 2004-03-31