Water way to go

Water way to go

The continued exploitation and destruction of Thailand's marine resources could have grave consequences

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE
Water way to go
Natural marine farming in Ban Pred, Trat province.

There was once a time in Thailand when the population was small and the waters were full of life. Today, the country has nearly 70 million people, but the number of marine creatures is decreasing all the time. In the past, people had respect for the seas, lakes, rivers and their inhabitants. We are not so conscientious anymore. There isn't enough concern about what our activities could mean for the future.

There are many lessons that can be learned as a consequence of the destruction of mangrove, wetland and napa palm forests, all home to an abundance of life. With the depletion of these forests, animal populations collapse, some even disappear. From time to time, campaigns and movements are initiated to try to protect these forests and raise awareness of their importance to the creatures who live there. But these conservation projects are fighting an uphill battle against the ongoing destruction.

There have been some successes. There is a mangrove forest in Satun covering many neighbourhoods that is protected as a national seaside park.

A stream cuts through a mangrove forest in Ban Sakala, Samut Prakan.

Khlong Tam Malang is full of fish. On nights with a waning Moon, locals paddle along the canal to catch fish. The boat they use is called a "ghost boat", and is equipped with a piece of wood, painted white and hung over the side of the boat. When it moves, it reflects light along the water. This causes fish to become confused and they jump onto the boat. It's an age-old fishing technique that involves zero investment.

In Trang, several districts, such as Kantang, Palian and Hat Samran, are still full of large wetland forests where marine life abounds. The area is famous for its fish, crabs and prawns.

But for every success, we can find many more failures. Around 20 years ago, tiger prawn farming in wetland forests became popular. Mangroves were cut down so that areas could be transformed into ponds for farming. This happened in provinces like Trat, Chanthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Nakhon Si Thammarat. There was a surge in the price of tiger prawns. The government encouraged people to raise tiger prawns for export. Plodprasop Suratsawadee, then director-general of the Department of Fisheries, said he would make every tiger prawn farmer rich so that they all could afford to wear a Rolex.

The remains of healthy mangrove forests in Sam Roi Yot. Suthon Sukphisit

Then things started to go wrong. There were issues over the preparation processes for the ponds and their systems, the quality of water that was pumped from the sea and diseases that impacted the prawns. Farmers had to invest large chunks of their budgets to solve these problems. Many had to mortgage their lands.

People went bankrupt. Lands were seized and destroyed. Despite encouraging people to invest in tiger prawn farming, the government never shouldered any responsibility. They never told the truth that the reason the prawns sold so well in the beginning was because Thailand was the only country that engaged in such farming. Other countries did not do it because of the damage it caused to the natural environment.

Sam Roi Yot in Prachuap Khiri Khan was once a mangrove forest, later turned into tiger prawn farms.

But not everybody gave up. In Ban Pred in Trat province, locals grew mangrove and napa palm forests because they knew they made a perfect environment for crabs, fish, prawns and shellfish. Farmers also grew a wide variety of plants at the edges of the swamp to encourage more animals to live and feed there, and develop a self-contained ecosystem. As a result, farmers there raise various types of water animals which can be sold at different prices.

Yet so many of Thailand's natural areas continue to be threatened by those who only act out of self-interest. Thaksin Shinawatra recently suggested reviving the economy by turning wetland areas in Samut Prakan, Bangkok and Samut Sakhon into land for residential projects to sell to millionaires. Many responded enthusiastically to the suggestion.

Bang Khunthian district in Bangkok was once home to dense mangrove forests. With the continued expansion of urban areas, the natural space is gradually being lost.

We never see government policies on preventing the exploitation and destruction of our natural resources. A future without fish, crabs and prawns, therefore, is not too far away.

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