The turquoise sea surrounding Koh Samet bears no visible sign of the crude oil from last year's spill that drew international headlines. The island has returned to normal and the tourists are coming back, even in low season.
Then and now: A bird’s eye view of Koh Samet’s Ao Phrao, taken by a drone-mounted camera immediately after the spill last year
On this day last year, about 50 tonnes of crude oil leaked from a PTT Global Chemical (PTTGC) pipeline and blackened the popular Ao Phrao on the island's west coast — sparking the inevitable "paradise lost" reaction from the international media.
“Has it returned to its normal state? See for yourself. No sign of oil and the tourists are here,” said Supoj Pimman, a Khao Laem Ya National Park officer at Ao Phrao.
Since the oil spill, Mr Supoj is required to undergo a physical check-up every three months for five years. Health officials are concerned about any impact on those involved in the clean-up of the oil, especially from the chemicals used to dissolve the sludge.
But despite official assurances, hundreds of small-scale fishermen say the sea they have known all their lives hasn't returned to normal as yet — and they do not know if it ever will.
Kittipong Samunphrai, 49, from Rayong, said he and other fishermen strongly believe a drop in fish and prawn resources in the seas off the Rayong coast is the direct result of the oil spill.
The fishermen say they have felt extreme frustration for the past year, because their plight is being ignored by the authorities. Their feelings of impotence were heightened when oil washed up onto Mae Ram Phueng in Rayong on June 10. The amount wasn't substantial, so the provincial authorities did not look into it, irking the fishermen who are attuned to every nuance of the sea and its bounty.
They quickly formed a surveillance network to watch out for more signs of spilled oil and will immediately alert the authorities and other fishermen when they spot any.
“If we find a new oil slick, we will have to deal with it on our own while waiting for the authorities to arrive. What I’m most concerned about is that seafood could be contaminated with toxic chemicals,” Mr Kittipong said.
After the spill, oil giant PTTGC undertook a 166-million baht coral reef rehabilitation project, supervised by the Pollution Control Department, which is due to end in 2017. It included the hiring of environmental experts from three universities — Chulalongkorn, Kasetsart and Burapha — to survey the area.
Experts claim the substances used to dissolve the leaked crude oil last year were totally safe for the environment and will continue to degrade until they become bacteria that fish can safely eat.
“We don’t believe it because about 70% of marine animals have disappeared from the sea. There has been no clear explanation about that so far,” Mr Kittipong said.
Assistant professor Thon Thamrongnawasawat, head of the Department of Marine Science at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Fisheries is leading the aftermath survey team. He said lower fish stocks were to be expected because marine animals may have escaped the area to seek a better environment.
PTTGC paid the affected fishermen 30,000 baht each for a month when they could not go out to catch fish as usual. The fishermen had demanded the company pay them 2,000 baht a day for two months, or 120,000 in total.
Some agreed to take the 30,000 baht and stopped pursuing further compensation from PTTGC while others continued to fight for what they thought they deserved.
A total of 454 fishermen filed a civil lawsuit against PTTGC on Friday, seeking 400 million baht in damages relating to the oil spill. The lawsuit claims that each individual fisherman will lose between 300,000 and three million baht over the three-year post-spill period. About 40% have been forced to switch to labouring to supplement their incomes.
The leader of the Rayong fishermen, Udomsak Lodthong, said they also planned to file a petition with the Administrative Court against the state organisations responsible for dealing with the impact of the spill and compensating the affected fishermen.
They feel the authorities responsible have failed them. “Even if we don’t win this fight, our voice will be heard,” he said.
Environmental activist Srisuwan Janya, president of the Stop Global Warming Association, backed the Rayong fishermen’s moves, saying the financial compensation already paid to them was insufficient. Also, the workers hired by the fishermen had received no compensation at all.
More importantly, Mr Srisuwan said, the fishermen will continue to suffer from the impact on marine resources and that will affect their livelihoods for the long term.
A source at the Rayong provincial fisheries office, however, dismissed the fishermen’s claims about the impact of the oil spill on marine resources. He said marine populations might have decreased, but only in the first two to three months after the spill.
He blamed the situation on the lack of measures to increase local marine life populations, and too little cooperation from those in the fishing industry.
Athipong Satthapong, an environmental academic with Rayong’s natural resources and environment office, said the three universities were conducting a study aimed at assessing the impact of the spill on the environment.
When it is finished, a rehabilitation programme, initially lasting five years, will begin. Some minor rehabilitation efforts have already begun such as coral growing and the seeding of young fish.
The fishermen's doubts chime with what Mr Thon and his team have found in the aftermath of the oil spill. They have come across oil films in the sand 30cm below the affected areas.
The population of polychaete worms is another indicator of the lasting impact of the spill.
Mr Thon said he had found only two or three polychaete worms in every square metre in the affected areas while there are about 10 per square metre at other beaches on the island.
"As a matter of fact, only 20-30% of the affected beaches have actually been rehabilitated," Mr Thon said.
An important lesson from the spill, he said, was that it was important to prepare to deal more efficiently with an oil spill than to heal the affected areas. Rehabilitation of the affected areas could take at least three years. "Six months won't cure it. Not even one year," Mr Thon said.
Bangkok Post Sunday tried to reach PTTGC for an interview, but the company insisted it would only take questions via email. In an email response, the company said the environment and the ecology of the areas affected by the spill were “up to standard”.
The company insisted seafood caught in the affected areas was safe. It cited results of a study by the three universities to claim that the marine populations at Ao Phrao had returned to normal levels seven months after the oil spill.
To prevent further accidents, the company said offloading crude oil from buoys had been prohibited when waves were higher than 2.5m.
An aerial photograph of the same stretch of beach taken last week.