APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
Coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand are deteriorating rapidly while the sea turtle population is also shrinking as a result of destructive tourism activity, a study by the Marine and Coastal Resources Department has found.
The situation with coral in the Gulf was more worrying than that found in the Andaman Sea, said marine expert Wannakiat Thubtimsaeng, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, which is under the department.
The Andaman coral reef, one of the world's most popular sites with divers, was previously in a similarly critical situation. However, its condition has now improved markedly thanks to the good cooperation between local tour operators and tourists in preserving the marine ecology.
''Unfortunately, tour operators in the Gulf have not made such efforts,'' said Mr Wannakiat.
According to the department's survey which was released yesterday, almost half of the coral in the Gulf, or 49%, has been damaged, compared with only 26% in the Andaman sea.
The five provinces with the highest rates of coral destruction are Chon Buri, where 30% of the coral has been damaged, Prachuap Khiri Khan (27.5%), Trat (22.8%), Surat Thani (22.5%), and Chumphon (20.2%).
In the Andaman sea provinces, the coral destruction rate stands at 24% in Ranong, Phuket (21.3%), Phangnga (21.0%), Krabi (10%) and Satun (6%).
The study, conducted between 2007 and early this month, also found that the number of nesting grounds of sea turtles, both along the Andaman coast and in the Gulf of Thailand, had decreased dramatically.
''There used to be more than 10 nesting grounds, but now there are only three left,'' said the marine biologist. ''This is why the sea turtle population in Thailand is declining.''
The three remaining sites are in Koh Kham in Chon Buri province, Koh Huyong in Phangnga, and Koh Kra in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Mr Wannakiat said conservationists have been able to collect only around 1,100 eggs from these nests each year, with the survival rate at around 80%.
The department's marine experts said a total of only 345 adult sea turtles have been sighted in the Gulf and 91 in the Andaman sea during the survey.
Although the sea turtle population is shrinking, it is the other way round with the populations of dugongs, whales and dolphins in Thai waters, due to abundant food supplies for these marine animals, the experts said.
Last month, experts spotted up to 30 False Killer Whales, one of the larger members of the dolphin family, near Racha island off Phuket.
Marine and Coastal Resources Department chief Nisakorn Kositratna said she had instructed the newly-established Marine Animal Rescue Centre to come up with a scheme to give better protect to marine animals in Thai waters.
The centre consists of veterinarians specialising in the treatment of marine animals such as dugongs, whales, dolphins and sea turtles.
The team is dispatched to rescue stranded marine animals like whales whenever needed. The injured animals are released into the sea after they have fully recovered.There are only two such marine animal rescue units and both are based in Phuket at the moment.
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Coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand are deteriorating rapidly while the sea turtle population is also shrinking as a result of destructive tourism activity, a study by the Marine and Coastal Resources Department has found.
The situation with coral in the Gulf was more worrying than that found in the Andaman Sea, said marine expert Wannakiat Thubtimsaeng, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre, which is under the department.
The Andaman coral reef, one of the world's most popular sites with divers, was previously in a similarly critical situation. However, its condition has now improved markedly thanks to the good cooperation between local tour operators and tourists in preserving the marine ecology.
''Unfortunately, tour operators in the Gulf have not made such efforts,'' said Mr Wannakiat.
According to the department's survey which was released yesterday, almost half of the coral in the Gulf, or 49%, has been damaged, compared with only 26% in the Andaman sea.
The five provinces with the highest rates of coral destruction are Chon Buri, where 30% of the coral has been damaged, Prachuap Khiri Khan (27.5%), Trat (22.8%), Surat Thani (22.5%), and Chumphon (20.2%).
In the Andaman sea provinces, the coral destruction rate stands at 24% in Ranong, Phuket (21.3%), Phangnga (21.0%), Krabi (10%) and Satun (6%).
The study, conducted between 2007 and early this month, also found that the number of nesting grounds of sea turtles, both along the Andaman coast and in the Gulf of Thailand, had decreased dramatically.
''There used to be more than 10 nesting grounds, but now there are only three left,'' said the marine biologist. ''This is why the sea turtle population in Thailand is declining.''
The three remaining sites are in Koh Kham in Chon Buri province, Koh Huyong in Phangnga, and Koh Kra in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Mr Wannakiat said conservationists have been able to collect only around 1,100 eggs from these nests each year, with the survival rate at around 80%.
The department's marine experts said a total of only 345 adult sea turtles have been sighted in the Gulf and 91 in the Andaman sea during the survey.
Although the sea turtle population is shrinking, it is the other way round with the populations of dugongs, whales and dolphins in Thai waters, due to abundant food supplies for these marine animals, the experts said.
Last month, experts spotted up to 30 False Killer Whales, one of the larger members of the dolphin family, near Racha island off Phuket.
Marine and Coastal Resources Department chief Nisakorn Kositratna said she had instructed the newly-established Marine Animal Rescue Centre to come up with a scheme to give better protect to marine animals in Thai waters.
The centre consists of veterinarians specialising in the treatment of marine animals such as dugongs, whales, dolphins and sea turtles.
The team is dispatched to rescue stranded marine animals like whales whenever needed. The injured animals are released into the sea after they have fully recovered.There are only two such marine animal rescue units and both are based in Phuket at the moment.
Discuss
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