Environment feature

The Seas Are Life

Too many boats, too few fish are putting the seas in danger

Story by Kelly May
Photographs from Wildlife Fund Thailand

According to WFT there are more than 50,000 commercial fishing boats on Thai waters.

Amazing Thailand -- vast stretches of white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and an abundance of colourful sea life. That's how Thailand is known throughout the world. But Thailand might not be so amazing for much longer, it could turn into an ecological wasteland if we don't join together to protect our environment.

Chulajak Chakkrapongse, better known as Hugo, is joining hands with Wildlife Fund Thailand (WFT) to help promote a better understanding of marine protection. The campaign, "The Seas Are Life," aims to encourage the public, especially youngsters, to take an interest in various environmental issues such as over-fishing and threats to marine life.

"For people who live in towns, the issues of seagrass, endangered sea turtles and dugongs are largely unheard of," said the popular celebrity.

The campaign was started in response to a realisation of the threat towards marine habitats. "Biologists at the Fisheries Department have found fish caught in Thai seas have become smaller in size and fewer in number," said Maitree Duangsawasdi director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.

Another fine mesh

According to figures supplied by the WFT, there are more than 50,000 commercial fishing boats on Thai waters, but only 18,000 are legal and operate in designated areas. And the fact that nets with a fine mesh catch very young fish means that fewer fish reach breeding age and that inedible fish are caught. This is known as over-fishing.

It's not only the amount of fishing that threatens the environment, it's also how the fish are caught, says the WFT. Poison and dynamite are often used in coral reefs where traditional fishing gear is unsuitable. Nets that drag along the sea floor are destructive to seagrass beds, which are home to young fish and endangered dugongs.

With high demands placed on marine resources by commercial fishing companies, small-scale fishermen and the public, the WFT hopes to promote fishing that doesn't harm the environment.

The solution?

According to Jerry Tupaoz of the WFT, the solution is the effective management of resources. "The number of fishing boats needs to be reduced by 30 percent to allow fish populations to recover from over-fishing. So many fish are caught and thrown back into the sea dead because they are not needed. That is such a waste."

If current fishing practises continue, certain species of fish could disappear altogether. Fish populations aren't infinite, Jerry explained.

The public needs to be aware of the issues involved and start questioning where their seafood comes from, Jerry said. "One way we can allow fish populations to improve is let fish mature and breed. By eating young fish and fish eggs, people are helping to damage fish populations without even knowing the consequences of their actions," Jerry explained.

Vocabulary

poison (n): substance that causes death or harm if it is swallowed or absorbed into the body
stretch (n): area of land or water, especially a long one
abundance (n): large quantity that is more than enough
ecological (adj): connected with the relation of plants and living creatures to each other and to their environment
marine (adj): connected with the sea and the creatures and plants that live there
endangered (adj): threatened with extinction
habitat (n): place where a particular type of animal or plant is normally found
fine (adj): in this case, very thin or narrow
mesh (n): material made of threads of plastic rope or wire that are woven together like a net
inedible (adj): unsuitable for consumption
resource (n): a supply of something that a country, an organisation or a person has and can use
infinite (adj): without limits; without end
mature (v): to become fully grown or developed
consequence (n): result, something that has happened

Idiom

join hands: work together in doing something