Dear all,
Here is a official new released today in one of Thailand's English paper:
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is expected to announce the reopening of the Similan Islands for tourism today. Marine scientists said several of the archipelagos coral reefs were damaged in landslides triggered by the tsunami, yet most of the ecosystems seem capable of regeneration.
A damage evaluation survey was conducted between January 6 and 8 in collaboration with Prince of Songkla University, the Similan Marine National Park and dive operators from Bangkok and Phuket. The December 26 tsunami badly damaged coral ecosystems. As the local tourism industry depends on scuba-diving, damaged reefs could have long-term economic repercussions for the area. Thailands marine tourism industry now has its collective gaze trained on the Similan Marine National Park, one of the worlds top 10 dive destinations.
The Similan Islands, an archipelago of nine granite isles running roughly from north to south and peppered with numerous outcroppings of rock, provide spectacular dive sites in crystal clear waters. The survey of the tsunamis impact on local reefs found that most dive sites had suffered damage of between 10 and 60 per cent.
The surveys findings will be presented to the government today. We propose closing down seven dive sites, said Sakanan Plathong, a researcher at Prince of Songkla Universitys Centre for Biodiversity of Peninsular Thailand.
Especially hard-hit sites recommended for closure to tourism until they can regenerate are: Island One, Island Two and Island Three, as well as the dive sites known as the Great Wall, Fantasy Reef, Christmas Point and Snapper Alley. Snapper Alley and the Great Wall may be off limits for the long haul, and Christmas Point and Fantasy Reef until they are sufficiently recovered, Sakanan said. Islands one, two and three are in turn earmarked for turtle conservation projects, he added.
Because of the persistent problem of inadequate fresh water supplies as a result of the tsunami disaster, reopened tourism in the area will initially be limited to day trips and tourists living aboard their boats. These, however, account for more than 90 per cent of tourism activities in the area. Yet despite the reopening of the rest of the sites for tourism, scuba-diving in Similan National Park is expected to stay sluggish throughout the season.
Cancellations come in every day, and dive operators in Phuket are bracing for the worst economic crisis in their history, said Soonthorn Thongaram, operations manager of Marina Divers in Phuket.
Yet the majority of dive operators support the closure of badly damaged sites. In fact, they are more than ready to assist the national parks staff in their efforts to rehabilitate the reefs, Soonthorn said.
Several dive sites around the Similan Islands, however, remain intact, having emerged unscathed from the disaster. Local dive operators, though, worry about the tsunamis psychological impact on tourists. A long-term drop in marine tourism will leave locals dependent for their income on tourism in dire straits.
The Similan Islands, declared a national marine park in 1982, are widely popular with divers. In 2004, some 70,000 tourists visited the archipelago. Entrance and accommodation fees brought in Bt25 million alone.
I do hope that the dive operators will help our marine ecology by staying away from those dive sites closed for rehabilitation.
