Marine Environment Conversation

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For lack of proper management, natural resources in thailand have long been exploited, and resulted in devastated environment. Recognising such negative impacts, practically every government has put up various attempts to preserve and rehabilitate the environment and reduce the deteriorating parts so that they can be tapped for a lone time to come and for the benefit of posterity.

Regarding the marine ecological system, the Cabinet reached a resolution on June 4, 1991 to appoint the Royal Thai Navy, the Royal Forestry and the Fishery Departments to put into practice urgent measures to curb the encroachment of mangrove forests and coral destruction and to publicise the values of marine natural resources and and the environment.

As a result, the Royal Thai Navy started the "Marine and Shoreline Environment Conservation and Development Project," Which has been implemented continually up until now. A body, called the Royal Thai Navy Marine and Shoreline Environment Conservation and Development Implementation Committee, the Shoreline Environment Conservation and Rehabilitation Execution Committee, the Marine Life Conservation Execution Committee, the Chao Phraya River Environment Conservation Centre, and Chulabhorn 36 Marine Underwater Garden Committee.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne in 1996, the Government has made it a policy to organise various projects to celebrate it. This opens up an opportunity for the Royal Thai Navy to substantially accelerate and step up its conservation operations and promote the cooperation of the provate sector and the public in conserving the environment. Deeply devoted to His Majesty the King, Thais are willing to render strong support to such projects. The Royal Thai Navy's Marine Environment Conservation and Rehabilitation Project, supported by Burapa University, Chulalongkorn University, Government Housing Bank and other environment-oriented private agencies, are divided into five parts as follows:

1. Collection of garbage underwater and along the shorelines
2. Coral cultivation
3. Turtle cultivation
4. Topshell cultivation
5. Public relations

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Implementation

The implementation of the project can be divided tnto five sessions as follows:

1. Collection of garbage underwater and along the shorelines in Cholburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trad, Songkhla and Pang-nga

   • Inviting and elicting cooperation of the public, government agencies, educational institutes and private agencies to clean up and collect garbage along the shorelines in Chol Buri, Royong, Chanthaburi, Trad, Songkhla and Pang-nga. The beaches in these provinces are important tourist spots but have recently been plagued with a great deal of garbage, which deteriorates the beautiful scenery. The scope of implementation depends on the characteristics of the venues.
   • Inviting and calling for the cooperation of agencies, both in the government and private sectors, including diving clubs, to help clean and collect garbage underwater, and deserted ring nets scattered around Kram and Samae Sarn Inslands.
   • The duration will be determined as appropriate but the project will be carried on continually throughout the length of the project, with the focus on high seasons.

2. Coral cultivation

   • Help will be sought from the Marine Science Institute of Burapa University and other academic institutes involved in the survey and planning of caral cultivation and the rehabilitation of caral reefs.
   • The initial targeted area covers 250,000 square metres on islands in Sattahip district, Cholburi. The areas will be extended to cover islands where the lighthouses under the supervision of the Royal Thai Navy are located and the vicinities of the Royal Navy's units.

3. Turtle cultivation

   • The plan is aimed at hatching and cultivating a total of 50,939 turtles and tortoises in three main areas; namely, Kram Island, the Marine Station of the Royal Thai Navy Hydrographic Department in Sattahip district, Cholburi and the Anti-Air and Coastal Defence Command in Sattahip, Cholburi.
   • Turtles and tortoises will be released by appropriate schedules and in suitable areas. Agencies in both the government and private sector, as well as the public, will be invited to join the activity.

4. Topshell cultivation
   350,939 topshells will be cultivated at the Marine Station of the Royal Thai Navy Hydrographic Department in Sattahip, Cholburi and then released to their natural habitat near islands in Sattahip, Cholburi, the islands where the lighthouses under the supervision of the Royal Thai Navy are located, and the vicinities of the Royal Thai Navy units. The areas are selected because the Royal Thai Navy can look after them and the environment is suitable for the growth of young topshells.

5. Public relations
   The Royal Thai Navy Secretariat Office will lead the public relation activities of the project, the details of which are as follows:
   • Produce features on marine environment conservation as appropriate, and televise them with the cooperation of agencies in the private sector which specialise in feature production.
   • Produce TV and radio spots to campaign and promote public awareness of the importance of marine environment.
   • Organise press conferences on the Marine Environment Conservation Project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of His Majesty's accession to the throne. High-ranking commanding officers, and representatives from supporting and cooperating parties from both the government and private sectors will be invited to participate.
   • Invite the mass media and representatives of involving private agencies intermittently to visit and report on the progresses of the aforesaid five parts of the project.