Thailand: Master plan for our seas is vital

The Bangkok Post 11 Feb 11;

To close or not to close dive sites to prevent the worsening of coral bleaching in the Andaman Sea is no longer the question. After some hesitation, the National Parks Department eventually decided to close 18 dive sites, most of them being top diving destinations in the country.

The decision last month drew much criticism from tourism-related businesses. But according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the closure involves only 20% of the dive sites, so the impact on tourism businesses should not be as severe as feared.

Indeed, the government has done the right thing in ordering the closure since this will allow corals the necessary time and opportunity to recover. If anything, the closure should have been done much sooner, since coral bleaching has been going on for more than a year.

But if we want to effectively protect the ecology of our coastal seas, the closure of dive sites, temporary or permanent, is not enough.

It is true that the warming sea temperature and the El Nino phenomena are causes of massive coral bleaching. Yet, other forms of pollution such as sediment from coastal land development, destructive fishing, wastewater from inland or tourist boats, not to mention the careless feet of inexperienced divers, are no less threatening than global warming.

Closing dive sites is only a piecemeal measure in the big picture of marine ecology, when destructive fishing boats can freely push and pull massive nets along the seabed, or when inland development can release sediment and wastewater into the sea non-stop.

We not only need a comprehensive solution package but also the commitment to enforce it.

When the renowned Great Barrier Reef was hit by massive coral bleaching in 1998 and 2002, the Australian government issued the Great Barrier Reef Climate Change Action Plan 2007-2012, to control the damage. Interestingly, climate change is defined as one of pressures on the future of coral and marine ecology. Other factors include "degraded water quality" and "unsustainable fishing". Land use zoning, participatory coastal management, and research support are among the plan's recommendations, along with national commitment to reduce the overall carbon footprint to combat global warming.

Thailand actually tried to have a similar master plan. In 2008, the draft National Coral Management Plan recommended land use zoning and more support for both marine research and national park operations to protect marine ecology and coral health. It also called for local community participation and better legal mechanisms. Unfortunately, it was not approved by the government.

Global warming and irresponsible businesses are threatening the marine ecosystem which creates biodiversity and supports the livelihood of millions of people. We can no longer take the short-sighted route by merely announcing short-term closures of dive sites or by creating artificial corals through dumping decommissioned trains and planes into the sea. The draft National Coral Management Plan already details what needs to be done to effectively protect the health of corals and the coasts. The release of sediment and wastewater into the ocean must stop. So must destructive fishery and unregulated tourism.

The government must get tough with big trawlers and their destructive fishing machines. The development of beach resorts and marina must also be strictly regulated. We already know what needs to be done. What is lacking is the political will to make it happen.