Marine eco-system in the Gulf at risk of collapse: Greenpeace

The Esperanza with its campaign banner

Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines are at serious risk of permanently destroying their marine eco-systems, due to over-fishing, pollution and the destruction of environmental habitat, according to Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

"Right now in Southeast Asia, there are fishing operations which are above the capacity of our oceans - especially in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, which are all over-fishing their territorial waters. Too many fishing boats cashing in on too few fish has led to serious over-fishing," Sirasa Kantaratanakul, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, told The Nation.

Greenpeace's ship Esperanza has been in Thai waters since June 15 in preparation for launching its campaign, "Oceans in the Balance: Thailand in Focus". It has already visited Songkhla and Prachuap Khiri Khan and arrived at its last stop - Bangkok's OB Port in Klong Toei, last Thursday.

Before leaving tomorrow for the Philippines, the 72-metre ship will open so people can view a display demonstrating the destructiveness of Thai fishing operations in the Gulf. Walking around the ship, visitors can see how its crew lives on the Esperanza, as well as learn about Thailand's marine life.

On display are videos depicting Thai fishermen using nets with a fine mesh to catch fish - a major cause of the decline in Thailand's fishing stocks. There are also maps providing statistics and indicating areas where over-fishing is rampant. The photos also provide evidence of the different species and sizes of fish being caught, with the smallest, no larger than a little finger.

Using the ship's radar and rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBS), Thai and Southeast Asian Greenpeace activists - as well as Esperanza's international crew - were able to document the massive destruction of commercial-scale fishing by trawlers, bottom trawlers and clam dredgers.

"Thailand's seas are rapidly approaching a danger zone", said Sirasa.

Hundreds of commercial vessels were operating daily in the Gulf and destroying all marine life in their wake. "If this continues, Thai oceans will become barren and lifeless," she said.

One study has estimated that in order for fish numbers to remain sustainable, the catch of demersal (bottom dwelling) fish in the Gulf should not exceed 916,000 to 993,000 metric tonnes. However, current numbers of these fish being caught are much higher. However, the number of fish in a catch has dropped dramatically from 300kg per hour in 1961 to approximately 25kg of fish per hour in 2011.

Bottom trawling - popular in Thailand -uses weighted nets that are dragged along the seafloor, randomly netting all marine life, from the bottom to the top of the net. The method, in addition to destroying vital habitats on the seabed, catches everything in its path - from turtles and sharks to juvenile fish - especially when this method of fishing is used with small mesh-size nets.

"In the next five or ten years if we do not try to fix the situation and protect resources, fish stocks or fish populations will reach below numbers that will no longer be productive," Sirasa said.

But over-fishing is not the only cause of falling fish stocks. Climate change, pollution, waste dumping, natural disasters and tourism had all contributed, she said.

The report "Oceans in the Balance, Thailand in Focus" is an overview of the worsening crisis in Thailand's seas. The report has data about the country's marine ecosystem and the destruction of its fish species, coral reefs, sea grasses and mangroves swamps.

Since its arrival in June, the Esperanza has been working with coastal communities and civil society groups in Songkhla and Prachuap Khiri Khan - calling on the government to support more stringent fishing laws in order to save the Gulf.

Greenpeace wants the government to immediately stop any new commercial boats in Thai waters, and to introduce a programme that will reduce the most destructive commercial fishing methods.

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/06/30/marine-eco-system-in-the-gulf-at-risk-of-collapse-greenpeace/