The Nation 26 Aug 09;
Thaphol Somsakul, a civilian dive instructor with the Navy, said he was monitoring a reported trend among fishermen acting on their own initiative, or who were hired by aquariums to catch rare species.
Thaphol said he became suspicious after spotting rare species with distinctive marks at various trawler piers, and then seeing them later in aquariums.
"I interviewed fishermen who all said those rare species were trapped in their nets by chance," he said. Thaphol said the rare fish were becoming harder to find in their regular habitats, citing his own experience and reports from fellow divers.
"The decrease in number of these species coincides with the increase in the number of new aquariums opening, as well as in the number of rare species on display," he said.
He said the Navy was aware of the trend and often found fishing trawlers catching rare species, but had no authority to act, either in finding proof or raising awareness among fishermen.
Unlike protected or endangered species, the rare species are not protected by law. The rare species cited by Thaphol are a giant stingray and a fish called ronin.
A oneyear joint project by the Navy, PTTEP, and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry will soon inspect 20 sites in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea to locate coral reef sites and gather information to make a seabed map. The information will be ultilised in a coming project to conserve natural coral reefs.
