A THIRD PHASE of artificial reefs is to be sunk off Phuket's west coast from Karon to Nai Harn, extending the concrete cubes all along Phuket's prime beaches.

The plan for 2000 more cubes to be sunk was revealed yesterday by Paitoon Panchaipoorn, of Phuket's Marine Coast Preservation Office, when council and marine officials met at Provincial Hall in Phuket City.

While people in the dive industry complain that they have not been consulted and that the cubes are not likely to attract reef fish, the plan has the backing of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organistion, local authorities, Marine Transport, the Royal Thai Navy and the Fisheries department.

Other critics say there are better means of creating reefs that would have more appeal to fish.

Khun Paitoon said that the cubes in the third phase would be dropped about three kilometres off Kata and Karon beaches, extending down to Nai Harn. No date or time had been set, but there were 18 points at which the drops would be made.

Some concerns about the potential effect on Koh Boo - Crab Island, a notable landmark off Kata and Karon - still need to be resolved, Khun Paitoon said.

Budget for the project has yet to be determined. Completion of Phase Three would see the concrete cubes extend from Bang Tao beach to Nai Harn, Phuket's southernmost beach.

The meeting also discussed a series of floating fish farms off Saphan Hin in Phuket City, ruling that the 18 families involved needed to work the sea plots themselves and could not allow investors to move in.