Former foes turn friendly
Bangkok Post 10 Oct 09;
Many remorseful business people who have realised coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand are under threat from human activity have changed their ways and are now striving to save the environment they played a part in destroying.
Reefs at Koh Thalu in tambon Sai Thong in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Bang Saphan Noi district have been identified as being endangered.
Storms, climate change, coral bleachings, overfishing, blast fishing and pollution have been destructive to the coral reefs and other forms of marine life in the Gulf over the years.
However, there are environmentally-conscious people who are struggling to save the marine life resources.
Among them are people who once caused damage to the coral reefs but have regretted their mistakes.
They have now refocused their energy and resources to helping restore the coral reefs in Koh Thalu.
Many of them are owners and operators of resorts on the island who are trying to find a balance between striving for profit and preserving the natural environment.
Koh Thalu is home to spectacular and beautiful coral reefs in the Gulf of Thailand, attracting divers who are fascinated by the underlying marine beauty.
The coral reefs are no less beautiful than those in the Andaman sea.
Koh Thalu resort owner Preeda Charoenpak said chasing profits was not his primary concern.
"I want to do something to make up for the damage I did to the marine environment in the past," Mr Preeda said.
About 30 years ago, he was in the fishing business in Phetchaburi's Ban Laem district and owned more than 20 fishing trawlers.
He admitted that his fishing business and his trawlers had done harm to fishing stocks and coral reefs.
He later decided to give up fishing and spend the money he gained from selling his trawlers to invest in running a resort on Koh Thalu.
"But destruction of marine environment and overfishing is still there with blast fishing," he said.
After spending years trying to raise environmental awareness, his efforts have paid off.
Koh Thalu has been declared an area for the conservation and restoration of marine resources.
The island and its surrounding sea areas cover more than 150,000 rai and is declared off-limits to fishing of all types all year round.
Koh Thalu is regularly patrolled by officers from the navy and the Fishery Department and marine police units. It serves as a model for environmental conservation.
Phao-pipat Charoenpak, Mr Preeda's son, who manages the resort, said the project to grow coral reefs in the sea started in 1997.
He said coral reefs had been devastated by human activities such as dynamite fishing as well as natural phenomenon such as El Nino, global warming, climate change and coral bleachings and storms that ravaged the southern provinces such as Gay and Linda.
As a result, coral reefs around Koh Thalu had gradually died off. Mr Phao-pipat said it might be too late to wait for the coral reefs to regenerate on their own.
Residents and business operators on the island must step in to help coral reefs to recover.
He said he and his father had experimented by taking broken pieces of live coral reefs lying scattered on the beachfront and attaching them to the dead coral reefs. Before long, offshoots of coral on the dead reefs had begun to grow and branch out into fully grown reefs.
This has caught the attention of students from many schools who keep coming to the island to learn how to save and preserve the coral reefs.
Experts from the National Research Institute, and universities such as Kasetsart University and Mae Jo University in Chiang Mai also visited the island to study the coral reefs and the ecosystem around the island.
Mr Phao-pipat said a foundation on marine science and conservation had offered to help restore the coral reefs.
It has introduced a project to grow 80,000 coral offshoots using PVC pipes. The project had been sponsored by Vinythai Plc, the country's second largest polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer.
Vikrom Poolpon, the foundation manager, said the project is a collaboration between the company, the navy, the natural resources department and the Ban Ma Koh Thalu resort. It started on Aug 26 last year. Mr Vikrom said the pieces of coral reefs are fitted on to PVC pipes, laid under the sea and fastened to the seabed.
Arunsri Namsup, a fourth-year student from Loei Rajabhat University, said she was glad to take part in Koh Thalu's coral reef activities which had opened up new vistas for students.
