Rehabilitation of Andaman Bay to Begin – Protecting Marine Species

In a move to help marine resources spawn and rehabilitate with minimised human interference, the local Department of Fisheries has declared that commercial fishing will be off limits in the Andaman Bay. The ban which came into effect on 1st April, 2017 is expected to last for 3 months till 30th June, 2017. Such a move will not impact the region’s burgeoning tourist industry with travellers having the option of staying at a luxury hotel in Krabi and engaging in a variety of water sports. Anantara Si Kao Resort is one such option available for tourists. The closure will include areas in provinces such as Krabi, Trang and Phuket and cover a total of 4,696 square kilometres. It is hoped this ban which includes the use of equipment that has a direct impact on fish breeding will help in increasing fish stocks, particularly a mackerel species locally known as “pla thu”.