40 islands to be closed to revive coral reefs

BANGKOK, April 26 (TNA) -- Director of the Office of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation (OMCRC) Niphon Pongsuwan said that he has planned to propose that a total of 40 islands be temporarily closed off in order to allow the coral reefs to recover, after the problem of coral reef bleaching has not ease. Mr Niphon said after the problem of coral reef bleaching has been found the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman coast in 2010, the conditions of the coral reefs have changed drastically, especially during the months of April and May, as the temperature rise as the summer season approaches. Meanwhile, reports have pointed out that although the coral reef bleaching has not expanded into a large area, Mr Niphon said he has ordered to local agencies to closely monitor the situation along the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman coast, ensuring that there are no anchoring and waste water dumping among the coral reefs habitats. He said he is planning to, soon, propose to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation to temporary closed off 40 islands in order to give time fore the coral reefs to recuperate themselves, as they have been slow to recover in the past, with an average of about 3-5 per cent recovering annually. The OMCRC director noted that some locations are also facing severe low water quality due to tourism, which further aggravated the recover of the reefs, prompting his office to come up with the measure to help the coral reefs recover to the fullest. He has then asked for understanding from island entrepreneurs, informing that all islands would not be closed but only affected areas. (TNA)