Tourists dump 860 kilos of shells and coral at Krabi Airport in last three months

 

 

Tourists who thought they might try to take illegal souvenirs home with them from the beaches and sea of Krabi have dumped 860 kilos of forbidden items at the airport.

 

The haul - returned to parks authorities yesterday - was dumped in various places in the Krabi International Airport over the last three months after airport authorities said the shells and corals could not be taken on airplanes.

 

Witthaya Khunsan of the local marine park authority said much of the shells and coral was species protected by law. It is illegal to remove it from the sea and beaches or buy it in markets.

 

Source: http://news.sanook.com/2110894/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-12-02

Some people are so pathetic. In this case, the ignorant dummy tourists. why can't they have some respect for nature? 

 

 

all that can be taken onto a flight,: are the oysters for 1st Class 

It's a fair point but I don't understand what he means about protected species.  Are people taking live coral and shellfish away with them?

It's a fair point but I don't understand what he means about protected species.  Are people taking live coral and shellfish away with them?

Also dead coral can not be taken and should be left in the sea.

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That's a staggering amount, the cost of tourism I suppose.

 

Here's an idea, how's about the Thai authorities come down super hard on the Thai shop keepers who are selling sea shell/coral goodies to tourists, all over most tourist resorts. Better still, why not come down super hard on the people who are making them! Too difficult I suppose.

It says it's illegal to buy it in the markets,,and tourists know this?
I guess the merchandise is hidden from the police and you can only buy it if you know the secret handshake.

10 hours ago, A1Str8 said:

Some people are so pathetic. In this case, the ignorant dummy tourists. why can't they have some respect for nature? 

I have picked up shells on my local beach and brought them home for my front garden,  I don't consider myself an "ingnorant dummy"  for doing this, just the same as the tourists were doing. 

Just think of all the tiny creatures deprived of a home and habitat.

 

Very irresponsible!!

How on earth do these authorities know it was tourists that did this.......when once there were shops everywhere along the coastal areas selling souvenir shells and corals?

When I was a kid, we could buy bags and bags of seashells at tourist traps all around the beaches in New Jersey.  

 

Marked "Product of Taiwan" (or somewhere similar)

 

When we collected our own on the beach, they stunk up the station wagon to high heaven within hours.

Yup...tourism is good for Thailand,  imagine how much refuse they leave behind?  It's a price the country will learn to regret. 

11 hours ago, Slip said:

It's a fair point but I don't understand what he means about protected species.  Are people taking live coral and shellfish away with them?

 

Protected doesnt mean that it has to be alive to be considered a crime :D - it means the species is protected and any harm to it or its environment is considered a felony.  Species are selected for protection based on endangerment.  

12 hours ago, A1Str8 said:

Some people are so pathetic. In this case, the ignorant dummy tourists. why can't they have some respect for nature? 

The authorities could start by closing down the sellers at the markets.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Witthaya Khunsan of the local marine park authority said much of the shells and coral was species protected by law. It is illegal to remove it from the sea and beaches or buy it in markets.

 

Surely he means sell it in markets?

 

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The haul - returned to parks authorities yesterday

 

Maybe for re-cycling back to the markets?

Many of the exotic sea shells on sale at markets, have been collected live from the sea.  The contents are then killed, and the shells sold.

58 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

How on earth do these authorities know it was tourists that did this.......when once there were shops everywhere along the coastal areas selling souvenir shells and corals?

Because they found the shells and corals in heir suitcases?

13 hours ago, A1Str8 said:

Some people are so pathetic. In this case, the ignorant dummy tourists. why can't they have some respect for nature? 

Some of what you say is true. If they take from the sea, knowing it is against the law.

But there are many shops which sell sea shells. What are tourists to think ?

2 hours ago, chiang mai said:

That's a staggering amount, the cost of tourism I suppose.

 

Here's an idea, how's about the Thai authorities come down super hard on the Thai shop keepers who are selling sea shell/coral goodies to tourists, all over most tourist resorts. Better still, why not come down super hard on the people who are making them! Too difficult I suppose.

 

Exactly! there's a stunning shop in Jatujak market, the shells are incredible, absolutely beautiful, but sadly, they weren't washed up on the beaches, they're pristine speciments of shells in their prime, as beautiful as they are, they're a f&*%£*g disgrace.

Nothing wrong with picking up washed up shells from the beach.  Tourists picking up shells and dead coral is not going to make any difference.... after all they are dead already and the shells will only get smashed up and ground down to sand over a few years...... and they are basically just old snail shells... think how many snails people kill in their gardens each year... but they don't look as pretty.

 

The real problem is the shell shops and other people selling the shells... because they collect the LIVE animals and kill them for their shells... so that is removing live animals from the ecosystem which will mess up the balance and put species at risk.  So the authorities should be concentrating on shutting down these shell shops and stopping people harvesting live protected species.... not moaning about someone with a couple of dead shells in their case they picked up off the beach. 

 

 

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

I have picked up shells on my local beach and brought them home for my front garden,  I don't consider myself an "ingnorant dummy"  for doing this, just the same as the tourists were doing. 

How about bringing it back where it belongs as you're not an ignorant dummy now anymore?

 

It's thanks to the seashells and corals if there are beaches in the world... You know what I mean?

5 hours ago, chiang mai said:

That's a staggering amount, the cost of tourism I suppose.

 

Here's an idea, how's about the Thai authorities come down super hard on the Thai shop keepers who are selling sea shell/coral goodies to tourists, all over most tourist resorts. Better still, why not come down super hard on the people who are making them! Too difficult I suppose.

 

Australia police this by having a parks and wildlife department, which has search and seize powers higher than normal police powers.

 

a presence is needed at the point of collection.... not at the airport.... aquatic species don't last long out of the damn water

 

then.... once you got the guy getting off the tour boat with his illegally gathered curios, you got the tour company for enabling it, as well... arrest them too.... that might make a decent impact on the practice of destroying the reefs

 

realistic fines would fund the department.

4 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Yup...tourism is good for Thailand,  imagine how much refuse they leave behind?  It's a price the country will learn to regret. 

If only the country was capable of learning anything 

6 hours ago, jlwilliamsjr18 said:

Yup...tourism is good for Thailand,  imagine how much refuse they leave behind?  It's a price the country will learn to regret. 

The trash problem is not tourist related other than the fact there are few if any garbage receptacles. Maybe it should be required that tourists bring their own buckets, that would look nice. A lot of this trash also washes in from the sea along with the raw sewage. I have never seen beach groomers here like you do in most countries.

Nothing wrong with picking up washed up shells from the beach.  Tourists picking up shells and dead coral is not going to make any difference.... after all they are dead already and the shells will only get smashed up and ground down to sand over a few years...... and they are basically just old snail shells... think how many snails people kill in their gardens each year... but they don't look as pretty.

 

The real problem is the shell shops and other people selling the shells... because they collect the LIVE animals and kill them for their shells... so that is removing live animals from the ecosystem which will mess up the balance and put species at risk.  So the authorities should be concentrating on shutting down these shell shops and stopping people harvesting live protected species.... not moaning about someone with a couple of dead shells in their case they picked up off the beach. 

 

 

You're wrong, picking them up is very wrong.

But yes, priority should be with preventing collection of live specimens and sales.

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this is the problem thailand tourists usualy brainless joes, fast food dummys cheap charlys from western social ghettos or chinese busgroups go there for cheap drugs or sex .... these dingdongs run loose all over in national parks beaches etc and ruin them ...removing protected species just to later dump them in a rubbish bin at krabi airport...= selfexplaining... but what does the authoritys do about it ....? thai style bring up illegal buildings in a national park...smile like idiots and try to squeeze the fat dummys for their money as fast as possible...conclude: every country receives the quality tourism that  is deserved....

LOL/555........Peanuts out on aircraft.....Lots out on trucks and other land vehicles......

And boats for sure....

 

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

You're wrong, picking them up is very wrong.

But yes, priority should be with preventing collection of live specimens and sales.

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Why is picking up a dead snails shell 'very wrong'?