PHUKET: At least one amputation may be necessary as Phuket marine biologists fight to save the lives of six turtles, five of them seriously damaged by fishing nets and propellors off Phuket.
''Every day, garbage is killing Phuket's marine life,'' Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong. ''It is sad to say, but there will probably be many more like these turtles.''
One turtle will probably need to have a flipper amputated. Another turtle has had her shell slashed by a propellor, damaging her lungs, so that she can no longer go underwater.
Two others have had parts of flippers slashed off already.
The Phuket Marine Biological Centre, where the creatures are being treated on Phuket's east coast, knows the struggle to survive is growing more difficult for the turtles.
Four of the creatures were found stranded on Phuket's Mai Khao beach yesterday and two others at Baan Nam Khem and on Koh Kor Khao in Phang Nga province, north of Phuket.
Dr Kongkiat anticipates that if any of the turtles - they are all female - requires a post mortem one day, it is likely to show that there are bags and other plastic items in their stomachs.
''The turtles are disappearing with the arrival of tourists,'' Dr Kongkiat said. ''There is not room for both.
''The number of fishing trawlers and tour boats and longtails increases as the tourist numbers increase, so eventually, Phuket will have no more turtles.
''The plastic trash problem is out of control and people take no notice.''
Dr Kongkiat said he cut open two turtles found dead on a Phuket beach two months ago, and found diesel fuel in their stomachs.
''It is horrifying and heart-breaking at the same time. There seems to be no willpower to try to strike a balance with nature.''
The green turtles graze along the sea bottom and are unable to distinguish plastic items from grasses and other food, he said.
As tourist prosperity assures Phuket's future, creatures who have inhabited Phuket's waters for thousands of years are being driven to destruction.
''Every day, garbage is killing Phuket's marine life,'' Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong. ''It is sad to say, but there will probably be many more like these turtles.''
One turtle will probably need to have a flipper amputated. Another turtle has had her shell slashed by a propellor, damaging her lungs, so that she can no longer go underwater.
Two others have had parts of flippers slashed off already.
The Phuket Marine Biological Centre, where the creatures are being treated on Phuket's east coast, knows the struggle to survive is growing more difficult for the turtles.
Four of the creatures were found stranded on Phuket's Mai Khao beach yesterday and two others at Baan Nam Khem and on Koh Kor Khao in Phang Nga province, north of Phuket.
Dr Kongkiat anticipates that if any of the turtles - they are all female - requires a post mortem one day, it is likely to show that there are bags and other plastic items in their stomachs.
''The turtles are disappearing with the arrival of tourists,'' Dr Kongkiat said. ''There is not room for both.
''The number of fishing trawlers and tour boats and longtails increases as the tourist numbers increase, so eventually, Phuket will have no more turtles.
''The plastic trash problem is out of control and people take no notice.''
Dr Kongkiat said he cut open two turtles found dead on a Phuket beach two months ago, and found diesel fuel in their stomachs.
''It is horrifying and heart-breaking at the same time. There seems to be no willpower to try to strike a balance with nature.''
The green turtles graze along the sea bottom and are unable to distinguish plastic items from grasses and other food, he said.
As tourist prosperity assures Phuket's future, creatures who have inhabited Phuket's waters for thousands of years are being driven to destruction.
Another example of 'blame tourists' for the problem. Tourists don't operate fishing trawlers or drive speedboats. They do use a lot of plastic bags but probably dispose of most of them in bins as this is common in their home countries. So whose responsibility is it to preserve the local ecosystem, the same people that find it easier to 'blame tourists'.
Posted by Jon on August 29, 2012 14:35