Tourism vs Marine Life, Nature Scored

>The Tourism Authority of Thailand reported that between 70 to 80 percent of foreign tourists visit Thailand to enjoy its seaside resorts. Scuba diving, in particular, is one of the activities that earn the most income from tourism, according to the report.

Marine biologists and divers, however, warn that a number of marine animals are dwindling very fast, among them Harlequin shrimp, ribbon eel, Manta Ray, and sharks. They blame the alarming decrease of marine resources on lack of proper management and over exploitation.

But without sufficient information, it is difficult to assess the situation and plan proper management and sustainable use of marine resources, they say.

In a bid to build a database of information, the Marine Science Department of the Faculty of Fisheries Kasetsart University, in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, WildAid, World Wild Life Fund, and others, lectures and students of the Marine Science Department, organized some time back a seminar. This seminar, attended by academicians, marine biologists, fishery and tourism officials, conservationists and other interested persons, the seminar was to discuss the situation and management of marine life in relation to tourism.

Associate Professor Chaicharn Mahasawasdi, head of the Marine Science Department at Kasertsart University's Faculty of Fisheries, said during the seminar that tourism management in Thailand focused on use of resources without regard for proper management of living resources like flora and fauna.

What's more, Thailand lacked a database on the situation, significance, usage, and value assessment of these resources, Professor Chaicharn Mahasawasdi said.

During the seminar, Dr. Thorn Thamrongnawasawat, a lecturer of marine biology at Kasetsart University, together with his fellow researchers from the Marine Science Department, made presentations on technical data and situation of 54 marine animals, including Cleaning shrimp, Ghost Pipefish, Harlequin Shrimp, whale shark and Manta Ray, and the threats facing coral reefs.

Currently the Thai Royal Act on Conservation and Protection of Wildlife provides legal protection for 189 species of mammals, 182 species of birds, 63 species of reptiles, 12 species of amphibians, 13 species of insects, four species of indigenous fish and all marine life found in marine parks. When diving in Thailand, it is wise to think before you act, touching any wildlife can result in visiting a Thai prison.