Phuket sea fans, poached by smugglers, restored at reef

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Phuket sea fans, poached by smugglers, restored at reef 

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

 

PHUKET: A team of volunteer divers planted 250 sea fans at a reef off Koh Maiton, off the east coast of Phuket, today (Mar 18) as part of a coral-restoration campaign.

 

The team of 30 divers were by led Kasem Sukwaree, Director of the DMCR Phuket’s Natural Resources and Environment Office, together with Director of the Phuket DMCR’s Conservation Department, Suchart Rattanareangsri.

 

Actively planting the sea fans were volunteers from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, Songkhla DMCR, among other agencies.

 

Lending a hand as part of an underwater conservation educational project at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) were students from Baan Laem Panwa School and Baan Nabon School.

 

“The 250 one-year-old sea fans were collected from the Phuket Deep Sea Port and grown before being planted at the artificial reef off Koh Maithon,” explained Mr Suchart.

 

“This project has been ongoing for many years and we have good support from many officers, and especially from volunteer divers and students who care for the environment,” he said.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sea-fans-poached-by-smugglers-restored-at-reef-61445.php#hFeuJOgZq6YT1oUZ.97

 

 

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