April 10, 2001
Battlefield earth After fighting a powerful godfather over a mangrove forest and learning the hard way the perils of modern prawn farming techniques, one village is trying to heal yesterday's wounds by making sure that the children of tomorrow have a prosperous natural environment to live in Story By UKRIT KUNGSAWANICH Pictures by SOMKID CHAIJITVANIT   These children are too young to remember the raging battle that took place 13 years ago over the mangrove forest in their community. In the near future, though, they will have to learn to protect their turf, just as their parents did. As the sea breeze rushed through the thick forest of mangroves carrying away the wretched memory of gunshots from the Ban Pred Nai village, young boys appeared amidst the lush green trees in their T-shirts and shorts, making their way into the muddy water, giggling and enjoying their play time. In their hands were saplings, young mangroves ready to be planted in the damp soil, to be submerged under puddles of water. Launching the saplings in the air, each tried to throw them so that they landed as far away as possible. "This is our after-school activity. I love this game. The best part is I can play in the water without my mother scolding me afterwards," Apiwat Pimubon said with a laugh. At 10 years of age, he knows little about the encroachment of the mangrove forest by powerful capitalists backed by big-shot politicians. Neither does he know much about the forlorn battle to protect the mangroves, or the hopelessness that resulted when the prawn business collapsed. Umporn Partsart, the 50-year-old leader of Ban Pred Nai village in Trat province, remembers all the details of those dreadful events. About 14 years ago, traditional prawn farms using only organic materials and rudimentary tools were replaced by "new-and-improved" machines that later failed to live up to the expectations they had generated. Under the false impression that these state-of-the-art technologies and inorganic products were the answer to their prayers, people in the village abandoned their ancestral practices and turned to more profitable agricultural techniques in the hopes of getting rich quick. The resulting water pollution and dwindling prawn population due to the outbreak of disease caused the flourishing industry to collapse shortly afterward. "The villagers were very gullible back then. They didn't think of the long-term benefits or the environment, but instead were lured by quick, sizeable earnings," Umporn said. The emergence of modern technologies wasn't the lone culprit in the shrinkage of the mangrove forest in this sleepy hamlet. That same year, the capitalist who foresaw the opportunity to expand the local shrimp farming industry into a mass commercial business put forward another dubious proposal. "Thirteen years ago, the mangrove forest stretched as far as the eye could see. People in this community depended heavily on the forest-for food, and as a spawning ground for marine animals. But when a local godfather who wanted to exploit the rich mangroves came to the area, everything was turned upside down." In 1988, the 12,000-rai mangrove forest in Ban Pred Nai was not demarcated by the Forestry Department, which meant that it was available for a logging concession to any company winning the bid on it. After acquiring legal papers from the government, a local-powerful-company was allowed to cut down trees on the condition it would restore the forest to its original state afterwards. "The company did not stick with the deal though-they cut down trees to make charcoal and had no intention of doing any restoration work. They deserted the area and hoped to clear the site in order to expand the prawn business." Disgusted and upset, the villagers united to stop this unholy situation, signing a petition and asking for provincial officers to intervene. Instead of showing any eagerness to set things right, the government officials told the villagers to back off and remain silent. "They asked us, 'Do you want to die?"' Stunned by this reply, the villagers returned to their community in despair, knowing they were in deep trouble with no one to turn to for help. For a month, they made feverish efforts to get hold of the project's owners, hoping to talk some sense into them. They approached the company site with peaceful intentions, but to no avail: they were not welcomed. The growing hostility ignited a rampage between the villagers and the company's private bodyguards after all attempts to reach a mutual agreement failed. Outgunned by the company's fully-armed and trained bodyguards, the villagers adapted guerrilla warfare tactics and attacked the company at night. "We were left with no choice but to defend our natural resources for the sake of our children. If we had remained oblivious to the deforestation being carried out by this powerful capitalist, we would have been left with nothing but a vast, infertile land. We couldn't let that happen." The tangled roots of the mangrove trees are crucial players in keeping the ecology of the shoreline intact. After risking their lives and losing some of their fellows during the shooting spree, the villagers of Ban Pred Nai prevailed-but the lesson was painful. Three years later, the sound of gunfire was distant as the mangrove forest slowly recovered, but another calamity was waiting to surface. The modern prawn farming techniques that most villagers had committed to began to show signs that it was polluting the water-and this was followed by a rapid plunge in profits. Instead of a lump sum income-up to millions of baht per year-the water became unsuitable for prawns and the prawn farmers were forced out of business. "The new farming strategy involved a lot of chemicals that easily polluted the water when waste water from the farm was dumped into the river. The river water then became too filthy to use, and without clean, natural water, the prawn farms crumbled." In addition to water pollution, the surface soil was also damaged by the heavy use of chemicals. The villagers, to make ends meet, turned once again to the natural habitat for food and a small income from fishing in what remained of the mangrove forest. Realising that nature was, in fact, their best friend and that their livelihood depended on it, 127 households in the area united in 1998 to form a local organisation to protect and restore the mangrove forest. "The village had a hard time of it when the water was polluted and the forest was still recovering. The fish population, as well as other marine animals and plants, had dwindled since many of the mangroves had been chopped down. The villagers knew that in order to get back on their feet again, they needed to first of all restore the natural environment," Umporn said. Providing nutritious food for marine animals and serving as safe breeding grounds, mangrove forests are one of the main players in the protection of coastal shorelines. The tree roots above the water prevent soil erosion while their thick leaves provide shade to cool the water, creating a temperate environment for marine life. Village wisdom on the importance of mangroves to coastal ecology wasn't derived from books, but past experience. Umporn said that when he was a teenager, there were pools of clams, fish and shrimps in the mangroves. Every day he went home with a handful of seafood for his mother to prepare. He said he hoped those "good old days" would return soon so that his children would be able to share his experiences rather than just hearing about them. After the forest restoration project was launched, with help from the Social Investment Fund (SIF), Umporn's dream began to take shape. More than 1,000 rai of the forest has been replanted with a diverse variety of mangrove trees, from Rhizophora (Kong Kang), Sonneratia (Lum Poo) to Sapium indicum (Samor Talae). The group appointed each household to take turns watching and patrolling the area for uninvited guests. "Luckily, for the past few years, we haven't had any serious problem with outsiders sneaking in to cut down trees." Other community activities include the construction of bridges and walking paths in the forest, providing convenience for visitors and students who want to learn about the ecology of the mangroves. Along the walkways are small resting areas with wooden benches under tiled roofs for people to relax and breath the fresh air. The group has also worked with a local school to allow students to help plant the mangroves in the evenings or on weekends. Students also pick up trash around the area to keep the forest clean. "As a teacher, it's my duty to help the students learn to love their local treasure," said Audchavadee Onin, a teacher at Ban Pred Nai school. "They are familiar with the mangrove forest. This is their playground. But they also have to understand the ecology of the mangroves, and be aware that conservation is important to their future livelihood and environment." Despite their youth, some students have part-time jobs on the weekend as tour guides for the many visitors who show up from all over Thailand. Although the future looks brighter for the Ban Pred Nai village, with their fervent efforts finally paying off, they are still faced with several arduous tasks, one being to sustain the sensitive balance of the mangrove ecological cycle. Another clash is likely with the fishermen in small boats from nearby areas who enter the mangrove forest with illegal fishing tools and nets, thus putting the shoreline environment at risk. These small boats are equipped with special fishing nets that have iron chains with rows of sharp metal barbs on their ends. The barbs work like a rake, dragging and collecting everything from the bottom of the sea. This special tool is used to catch clams but it also destroys everything else as it uproots seaweed and other marine plants, thus depriving marine life of their food sources. Damage also occurs when the soil is dragged away from the mangrove roots-without the soil for the mangrove roots to anchor in, the trees fall over. Moreover, their seeds are not capable of growing in gravel or sand. Umporn Partsart, the leader of Ban Pred Nai, is fighting one battle after another to protect the community's mangrove forest and bring peace to his village. The muddy soil also acts as a fortress, protecting the trees from the furious waves and the currents during the monsoon season. Without this soil, the trees are extremely vulnerable. Umporn explained that these fishing boats enter the mangrove forest illegally. "By law, commercial boats cannot enter the area of the forest or nearby waters-they must stay at least 3,000 metres away." When this issue was raised during a meeting between trawlers, the fishing industry, and the community, the participants chose to turn a deaf ear. Aside from the illegal fishing in the area, the declining number of sesarmid crabs (poo samae) has also alarmed members of the Ban Pred Nai village. This famous crab is well-known among somtam-lovers in Thailand. Recently, crab-catchers from nearby towns sneaked into the forest during the crab's breeding season to catch mother crabs carrying hundreds of eggs. Without a chance to lay eggs and produce offspring, the sesarmid population decreased rapidly. "We have a rule in our community that there will be no catching crabs during the crab breeding season in November. If we cut short their life cycle, we also cut short our supply and our future," Umporn said. After so many years of struggle and hardship, Umporn said with a sigh that he knows he will soon leave the scene, and that the younger generation will have to weave its own future. Still, he is optimistic. As he gazed at the young warriors playfully wrestling in the muddy water, he smiled and said that prosperous days were returning and they were worth the wait and the effort. "We guard the forest, not for ourselves, but for the country. I hope people will think less of their own needs and start looking at the big picture. Why grasp at a small fortune when the future holds so much promise?" Infor for donations: Name of organisation: Ban Pred Nai Mangrove Forest Conservation Project Contract person : Umporn Partsart Telephone: (01)305-0241 Bank's name: Government Savings Bank Account number: 032401200626053 Account type: savings account		Daily Main Entrance Page Local News Business Outlook Weekly IT news Horizons Travel NiteOwl (Trink) Real.Time Motoring Student Weekly Entertainment & Lifestyle NEW!Breakfast in Bangkok Holidays online What's on Dining out Recipe of the week Movies Music Book Review Beauty Fitness Nutrition NEW! 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