The Change of the Sea

     Along the Gulf of Thailand coastline stretching for more than 100 kilometers from Pattani to Narathiwat, abundant schools of various kinds of fish once swam in the blue sea. All kinds of living matter in the area created an interdependent bond. The sea could have been compared to an enormous food source for the local fishermen from 7,900 households in more than 61 villages. Then greed began to infiltrate society and provoke the people's selfishness in taking more products from the sea than necessary to satisfy their needs. Selfishness and greed brought disaster to the sea. Thailand is one of the world's top ten countries with the highest fishery production. Development in the areas of business and industrial fishery which required the use of modern technology and equipment caused them to compete for benefits of natural resources, leading to overuse and misuse of these resources. There was a lack of the proper coastal resource management, evident in the fact that aquatic animals were slaughtered by the use of fishing equipment such as the trawl, resulting in a decrease of the numbers of aquatic animals in the area. Once the ecological system of the coastal resources reached its present fragile state, the traditional food source of these local people brokedown.

In the Royal Mother's Arms

     Throughout the past years of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit's visits to perform her royal duties in the areas of the Southern Region, it has been obvious to the public that wherever the hardship and the misery of her people exist, the Royal Mother would stretch out her hands to render help to relieve their suffering. Therefore, the gulf of Thailand will soon be filled with new life born out of Her Majesty's benevolence and kindness. Having heard about the misery and hardship of the local fishermen as well as the deterioration of the coastal resources, Her Majesty the Queen hurried to inform His Majesty the King in order to seek solutions to the problem. Her Majesty the Queen graciously granted a royal initiative to the agencies concerned to organize a meeting to jointly work on the guidelines for solving the problem. On this occasion, Her Majesty herself presided over the meeting which was held on September 6, 2001, at the Daksin Palace, Narathiwat Province. The meeting concluded by considering the following activities:

     * To find an area for setting up a place for propagating and nurturing coastal aquatic animals which will be released back to the sea covering the areas from Narathiwat to Pattani, particularly the area where the troubled fishermen carry out their coastal fishery occupation;

     * To create artificial corals to serve as a gathering place and an habitat for marine fish; * To establish a state mechanism for the maintenance work covering a distance of 3 to 5 kilometers from the coast, and to strengthen the community in the formulation of the preventive, monitoring and control measures in line with the laws.

The Night of Joy

     Monday, October 1, 2001, was a night filled with joyful smiles on the faces of the residents of Baan Lawaeng, Mai Kaen District, Pattani Province. Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn paid a visit to meet with the people there. During this trip, Her Majesty and His Royal Highness observed the coastal area where assistance would be provided to the local fishermen according to Her Majesty's royal initiative under the project called, "The Royally-initiated Coastal Resources Rehabilitation Project." The project is intended to cover the coastal areas extending from Pattani to Narathiwat Province. In addition, Her Majesty the Queen commissioned the agencies involved to accelerate the implementation of the project.

The Home Beneath the Sea

     Observation and experience are sources of knowledge or wisdom which we can apply in the management and administration of various things to promote optimal benefits harmonious with the environmental conditions. We are aware of the fact that fishermen make use of the areas around the islands, whether it be the piles of rocks or deltas under the sea, the places where aquatic animals gather. This has led to a concept of creating a habitat for aquatic animals which imitates nature. This is expected to be beneficial for rehabilitating the fishery resources in the coastal areas. Moreover, the local fishermen will not have to go far out in the sea to make a living. This helps reduce the capital and the risks of the fishery activities.

     The habitat for aquatic animals or artificial corals are human creations of various forms which follow natural patterns. The purpose is to adjust the condition of the seabed to suit the way of life of the aquatic animals. The areas where piles of rocks rest and remains of sunken ships exist are ideal sites since they are gathering places for the aquatic animals. Here, heavy, strong, durable and inexpensive materials which can resist tides and currents are placed in groups scattered in appropriate locations along the coast. This would then become habitats for marine life. The creation of a habitat for aquatic animals helps to increase fishery production because it attracts a greater number of aquatic animals. Soon, a variety of marine life will come to use it as a sanctuary and a living place where they can lay eggs and multiply. The seabed without natural piles of rocks or corals will then turn into a place where marine life prevails, continually producing a complex and complete ecological system beneficial for the fishermen. This will also serve as a borderline which demarcates a restricted zone for illegal fishery activities using commercial fishery equipment; for instance, the use of trawls is permitted beyond 3,000 meters from the coast.

A Chest of Sea Life

     * A cargo ship approached the grid point around 11-12 kilometers from the coast at Sai Bu Ri District, Pattani Province. When it came right at the spot, the ship dropped its head and rear anchors. Then the 2 sets of ship cranes were bound together with a wire sling to lift up a train bogey of a dimension of 2.18 x 6.65 x 3.23 cubic meters before releasing it into the sea at a depth of 25-29 meters where it sank onto the seabed. This chore continued until around 40 bogies were down in the sea and then pulled by a large ship to cluster together in a group. There were all together 5 groups consisting of a total of 208 bogies.

     * At a distance of 9 kilometers from the coast of Baan Na Thon, Narathiwat Province, cement pipelines of various sizes were placed to create a gathering site which extends for a length of 19 kilometers for the aquatic animals.

     * The wisdom of the local people, learned from the sea, contributed to an invention of Sung, local style artificial corals made of inexpensive and locally available materials such as bamboo trunks, coconut leaves, ropes and sacks. The fishermen living in the area jointly made a total of 650 corals, and gradually placed them on the seabed of a depth of not more than 5 meters, in the fishing areas of Baan Khae Khae, Baan Lum, and Baan Lawaeng in Pattani Province, as well as at the Kalae Tapae Community in Narathiwat Province.

     * Here would be a home for various kinds of fish, as if it were a chest of sea life. It is very pleasing that whenever we fulfill life back to nature, nature will in turn give life back to us. Within less than a month after the placing of the artificial corals of various kinds, the fishermen found fish that had once completely disappeared from this sea. Whether it be the Yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis), the Indo-Pacific mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma), the Giant sea perch (Lates calcarifer), the Striped barracuda (Sphyraena obtusata), and the Dorab, Wolf-herring (Chirocentrus dorab), all came back to this coast as if it were their permanent gathering place and residence, an important resource capital for the fishermen in this area.

Renewing the Lives in the Sea

     The agencies concerned, under the supervision of the Executive Board of the Royally-initiated Coastal Resource Rehabilitation Project, cooperated in serving Her Majesty's initiative based on the conceptual framework of the existence of the natural resources and environment, community participation in the development process, and the state of self-reliance in terms of resources, in a sustainable manner. This characterized an interrelated and integrated development, along with efficient management of fishery resources which consists of the following activities:

     Increasing of aquatic animals production

     The project is now in the process of seeking a piece of land at Baan Lawaeng to construct an office which will be used as the training site and a place for nurturing aquatic animals. A total number of 200,000 aquatic animals will be released back to nature on

A train bogey gradually sinking onto the seabed of a depth of 25-29 metres

The fishermen dropping Sung onto the seabed.

August 12, 2002, around the mouth of Sai Buri River at Baan Lum, Pattani Province.

     Restoration of the ecological system of the aquatic animals

The activity involves creating and placing artificial corals of various kinds, and restoring the coastal ecological system which includes mangrove forests, wet forests, and sea grass at appropriate sites within the project area.

     Management of fishery resources

     This program comprises designation of restricted zones for certain fishing boats, modification of fishing equipment and setting up of groups in different communities to participate in the management work.

Lives under the sea have been restored.

     Monitoring of the results

     This work features the monitoring of the project achievements with regards to both aquatic animals and the quality of life of the people by conducting a monthly data survey which involves the weighing and measurement of parts of the animals and their products. Besides, interviews with the fishermen are conducted twice a month.

The Blue Sea Brightened with Her Majesty the Queen's Benevolence

     Owing to the firm intention of Her Majesty the Queen to make both the people and the sea happy, living things in the sea have been restored, promoting an ecology with biological diversity, creating a balanced food chain cycle. The marine lives that swim in the waves of the sea will have a capital which will contribute to the development of the quality of life and self-reliance, in terms of resources, in a sustainable, manner. This is also a means of creating and protecting the natural resources for the next generations.