[สายชล]

เรื่องทำมาหากินหรือเรื่องปากท้องของคนนี่เป็นเรื่องใหญ่นะคะ พอมีข่าวใดที่จะทำให้กระทบกระเทือนถึงเรื่องเหล่านี้ ผู้เกี่ยวข้องบางคนก็เริ่มโวยวาย ไม่ยอมรับความจริง และ ไม่คิดที่จะช่วยกันหาวิธีแก้ไข.....


แต่น่าดีใจ....ที่ยังมีคนที่ยอมรับความจริง คิดและเสนอแนะวิธีแก้ไข เพื่อประโยชน์ของส่วนรวม ซึ่งรวมทั้งประโยชน์เพื่อปากท้องของเขาเองด้วย อย่างไรก็ตาม น่าเสียดายที่เขาไม่ใช่คนไทย แต่เป็นฝรั่งต่างชาติที่เข้ามาหากินในบ้านในเมืองเราค่ะ


ลองอ่านข้อคิด...ข้อเขียน...ข้อเสนอแนะของเขาดูนะคะ...I

I just come back from a 5 diving days at Similan, Bon Tachai and Richelieu Rock and we may say that:


- All coral reefs between surface and 20 meter depth are dead at 60-80% and some dive spots at 100%.
- Anemones and soft corals have been reduced by 50% between surface and 25 meters.


- Below 25 meters, corals, anemone and soft corals are in fair condition with minimal impacts on density excepted in few dive spots.


- All commercial fish have gone and we have only juvenile fusilier left as fishermen have been poaching heavily during the closure period of May -October.


- Anchoring on shallow coral reefs by fishermen during storm are evident (Anita's reef).


- Fishing traps in deeper water (30-40 meters) have to be blame for the catch of groupers, travely, parrot and other reef fish.


- Thai Navy Zodiac Dinghy at Koh Miang/Similan is not maintained and looks that it had not been by the sea since several months; so I doubt that they would be able to rescue any one or be used to control poaching by fishermen at night.

Personnal comments:

- What is happening this year in the Andaman Sea is must worst that the December 2004 tsunami.


- As all coral reefs has been completely dead, it will take at least 5-10 years to recover so tour and dive operators will have limited snorkeling and dive sites for a while.


- The only places left to dive will be in deeper water below 20 meters and dive sites with large boulders as fishermen, storms and El Nimo were not able to remove them.


- As Similan and Surin Islands are open since 3 weeks only, fews knew the truth, but in the coming weeks, bad comments on forums by divers about the devastated reefs in Thailand and lack of fish will push dive tour operators and divers around the world to find alternative liveaboard dive destinations in other oceans for the coming years; so we may expect much less reservations and a lot of cancellations within few weeks.

We need help by government agencies by:

- Opening ASAP Fantasy Reef as corals on top of the rocks may be dead but we may have a good dive in deeper waters.


- National Park Rangers, Marine Police, Thai Navy, Immigration and Labour Department should reinforce the National Park regulations in order to limit the numbers of day-trippers and divers as too many liveaboard dive operators employ too many foreigners without work-permit or foreign Instructors who are not properly registered. Many foreign Instructors set up tour and dive companies with proxy shareholders, directors and Thai staffs in order to get a work-permit at the expense of properly registered Thai dive companies.


- National park Regulation stipulate than all tour and dive boats can not stay more than five consecutive days but this year again, many tours and dive boats will be permanently at similan for the whole 6 month period and using fresh water from the few sources at Koh Similan.


- Artificial reefs in the 20-30 meter depht for recreational diving (Cement blocks or shipwrecks) should be a perfect way to add dive sites for divers.


- Scientists and marine biologists should convince the Thai Administrations to ban new fishing boats and start to buy back old fishing boats for scrap as European countries, North America and Australia are doing since many years. Do not forget that on 100 Baht sales, 80 baht goes for diesel, 10-15 baht goes to Burma crew and less than 10-15 Baht are for Thai people including investors. Industrial Economic Zones in Ranong, Trang and Satun may help to create new jobs for those laying off in the fishing industry.