Ao Maya locals request harbor closure to conserve marine resources

[webfact]

Ao Maya locals request harbor closure to conserve marine resources



KRABI, 6 July 2016 (NNT) – The local people and tourism entrepreneurs of Ao Maya Harbor in the Phi Phi Islands have requested the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) to temporarily close off the Maya bay until marine resources recover from activities related to tourism. The closure is expected to begin by early 2017.

Kasetsat University’s Faculty of Fisheries Deputy Dean and the assistant to the DNP Thon Thamrongnawasawat has said locals of Ao Maya Harbour have requested to the DNP to declare the harbor to be closed.

Ao Maya Harbor is the key tourism attraction of Phi Phi Islands, which generates a daily revenue of about 1.7 million baht. But as of recently, the tourist hot spot has suffered heavily from over-usage, vastly affecting marine and coastal resources.

The closure of harbor will allow marine resources to recover from man-made activities, and from boasts stirring up dregs on seafloor which has affected the coral reefs.

The DNP is now studying the effects of the harbor’s closure and will be designating alternative tourism attractions to accommodate tourists' demands. The DNP is planning to announce the temporary closure of the area in rotation with three other beaches in a 3-4 month period. The closure, along with new tourist boat regulations is expected to be implemented by early 2017.


-- NNT 2016-07-06

[Katipo]

I hope they do close it. The short sighted greedy tour operators need to learn to respect the hand that feeds them before they completely destroy it.

[webfact]

Maya Bay critically threatened by wholesale tourism



KRABI: -- Wholesale tourism is now taking toll on the country's famous Maya Bay in Phi Phi Marine National Park in Krabi province as now it is overcrowded with tourists, as many as 5,000 people on the 250-metre beach in a single day even at low season.

“Will you ever ask the sea if it can handle the influx of tourists of up to 5,000 a day even during at low season,” a well-known marine biologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat warned.

Assistant professor Thon, deputy dean of the Fisheries Faculty at Kasetsart University, warned relevant government agencies of the tourism consequences if nothing was done to prevent such critical situation on this world’s renowned Maya beach.

The warning was posted on his Facebook page after his recent visit to the island with officials of the Phi Phi Islands Marine National Park.

He said he was shocked to see the entire bay was packed with both long-tail boats, speed boat and ferries while on the beach jammed with tourists, with only standing space left.

Those responsible for promoting tourism have done a good job, but they should also think of the consequences that will follow, he said.

He said the park officials told him that a few days earlier Maya Beach alone was visited by about 5,000 tourists each day and the park has collected entry fees of 1.6 million baht from them.

Although he said the collected revenue might be high, but asked whether it’s worth the pollution cost that the small island would shoulder.

He asked that all relevant officials coming out of meeting rooms and going out to see on the scene with their eyes of what was happening there.

He called for seasonal closure of Maya Bay for nature to rehabilitate as now the island is facing coral bleaching, adding if nothing was done the entire coral reefs would die.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/maya-bay-critically-threatened-wholesale-tourism/


-- Thai PBS 2016-07-06

[Khun Robert]

5000 people a day brings in 1.7 million on National Park fees. Maya Bay, well know from the movie the Beach, is the hot spot tourist attraction in the Andaman Sea.

All tourists from Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi make the trip on long tail boats, speed boats or ferry and every dive shop tours into the bay for photo shoots.

Closing down will have a huge impact on tourism in the whole area, not only the boat owners but also hotels, guest houses, restaurant bars, food suppliers, gasoline stations etc etc etc.

The main reason these people are there is to see this beach and walk on the sand like Leonardo di Caprio did years ago.

If it get closed those people will go to other locations. Department of National Park never had the staff to enforce what ever rule or the tools to do.

Regulate, how difficult it is due to to many ports of embarking, the amount of boats and people. Enforce with more rangers and tools, like boats, the rules with heavy fines.

Not only a small fine for the boat crew but also heavy fines for the operators. Make it a Marine National Park, more strict rules and as said enforce and punish the violators.

There are designated areas for swimming separate with yellow bouy lines, the boat crew use these lines for mooring and let the boat drift inside the closed area.

Speeding into and on the way out is spectacular for the customers but not for their safety.

Things have changed the last year in the benefit of safety and environment, keep on going in the same way.

[Katipo]

I went there back in the 90's lovely spot. Went again recently, not so much now. Human's are like cancer. We won't stop until we have consumed our host.

[UKJASE]

we went about two years ago, and boats were not allowed to enter into the bay. customers had to swim onto the land from behind the beach, and walk through the trees to get onto the beach. have they changed the rule back to allowing boats again?

Also, our boat driver recommended we go to the bay at 6am, as we would have it to ourselves. we did what he said and it was perfect. i can imagine it is not the same with thousands of people covering the beach.

[stevenl]

we went about two years ago, and boats were not allowed to enter into the bay. customers had to swim onto the land from behind the beach, and walk through the trees to get onto the beach. have they changed the rule back to allowing boats again?Also, our boat driver recommended we go to the bay at 6am, as we would have it to ourselves. we did what he said and it was perfect. i can imagine it is not the same with thousands of people covering the beach.

Sounds like you went when sea conditions did not allow for mooring at the beach.

[tuanku]

When the tsunami wiped out many of the buildings on Koh PiPi in 2004, there was an opportunity to protect it from redevelopment. Unfortunately this was not taken and the current over-exploitation was an inevitable result. There are solutions, but not many of them will appeal to the Thai mindset which while accepting all kinds of constraints on civil rights, resists any restrictions on commercial rights. In the US I have visited Parks only to be told the place i wanted to go was "full". Often this works out well as a professional Park Authority can direct one to lesser known but equally interesting attractions. One of the places this happened to me was in the Grand Canyon.

My choice would be to limit access to those prepared to make a bit of an effort - eg. admission by non-motorised vessels e.g. kayak, paddleboard or sailing dinghy only. This would also help to preserve the bay for posterity, while allowing Thai entrepreneurs some opportunity to hire out suitable craft and lead groups into the bay.