The Royal Thai Navy and its collaborators have successfully deployed 69 artificial coral reefs on the seafloor of Koh Samae San in Chonburi province’s Sattahip district.
The event was held as part of the celebrations for HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s birthday on April 2nd. The event was presided over by Gen Surayud Chulanont, President of the Privy Council and Chairman of the Khao Yai Protection Foundation.
The artificial reefs are part of a plant genetics conservation project that the Princess has been working on since 1998 to promote the island as a learning and eco-tourism destination.
Gen Surayud emphasized the importance of natural resource conservation and lauded public-private collaboration. He also praised all participants, from navy officers to local people, for their assistance in constructing the artificial reefs and encouraged them to continue conserving the marine ecosystem by not discarding waste and broken fishing gear into the water.
The new artificial coral reefs will improve fish habitat and are part of the Marine Spatial Planning project, which aims to create a national coral reef database.
The project’s effectiveness has resulted in favorable effects for the fishing community. With over 60,000 people visiting the island each month, their income has climbed to more over 150 million baht per year during the high season.
