Phi Phi boat-free safe zones set to protect reefs from mass tourism

Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

The boat-free safe swimming zones have marked off to protect tourists from boat accidents and to protect coral reefs in the national park.

 

PHUKET: -- Officials with local dive and tour operators have joined together to use 1.6 kilometres of rope with 800 floats to mark off areas in the Hat Nopparat Thara - Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park to prevent tour boats from directly accessing coral reefs in the park.

 

The operation to install boat-free safe swimming zones was completed on Monday (Aug 29), Park Chief Sarayut Thantian told The Phuket News.

“We marked off an area with 600 metres of rope at Kai Island, and a total of 1,000 metres of rope combined to mark off areas at Phi Phi Don and Bamboo Island,” he said.

 

“We joined with the Krabi Driving Center, Local Diving, Poseidon Dive Center and Project Abroad to mark off the areas together,” he added.

Chief Sarayut explained that marking off the safe zones was part of a greater project to use 8,400 floats in total to protect marine sites in Phi Phi national park in honour of HM Queen Sirikit’s 84th birthday on August 12.

 

Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, adviser to the DNP and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, told The Phuket News, “A further 9,000 floats will be used to mark off marine sites in 13 national parks, including Hat Nopparat Thara - Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phi-phi-boat-free-safe-zones-set-to-protect-reefs-from-mass-tourism-58920.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2016-08-31

 

Apparently, they also need boat free zones to protect masses of tourists from boat props.