PIERRE-YVES Cousteau, son of the legendary environmentalist and adventurer Jacques Cousteau, will be based on Phuket for several days from April 25 to promote ocean protection.
His visit is likely to attract wide media attention and is also expected to focus on the issues that are troubling the Phuket diving industry: coral reef bleaching, illegal fishing, ''cowboy'' dive outfits and heavy tourist traffic.
More broadly, shark fishing for shark fin delicacies and plastic pollution will be on the agenda.
Officially, Cousteau's visit from April 25 to April 28 is to promote Cousteau Divers, a global monitoring program based on the active involvement of recreational divers around the world.
The visit will be sponsored by IndoChine, the Phuket resort where entrepreneur Michael ''The Dude'' Ma has been earning kudos for his approach to environmental issues.
Mr Ma attracted a large audience on Friday when he spoke to the International Business Association of Phuket and undertook to support John Gray's annual clean-up of Phang Nga Bay.
Cousteau Divers, say organisers of the visit, aims to ''raise the awareness of recreational users of the sea, of its fragility and to empower them to help study and protect it. The visit is also to help promote marine conservation in the Andaman Sea region.''
Mr Cousteau, 29, youngest son of Jacques Cousteau, will meet the Thai Diving Association on April 27. He will also conduct seminars on Phuket, a dive excursion to Phi Phi, address a gala dinner, meet members of Phuket's diving community and advise children on diving.
His visit comes amid contentious official restrictions on some popular Phuket and Andaman dive sites, aimed at allowing the region's reefs to recover from last year's unusual high-temperatures and severe bleaching of popular surface coral sites.
Thai authorities have been provoked into paying closer attention to the lack of regulation of the dive industry, and to consider sterner action against long-tolerated illegal fishing by trawlers in marine parks.
Films made by Mr Cousteau's father helped to widen interest in diving and preservation of the marine environment. Cousteau became a global byword for adventures at sea.
Several non-profit organisations bear the Cousteau name, including cousteaudivers.org, where the front page says: ''By uniting a community of divers who are concerned about the marine environment, Cousteau Divers brings the legacy of Jacques-Yves Cousteau to life, making each diver an agent of the study and conservation of the aquatic realm.''
Reservations for the gala dinner at IndoChine on Phuket on April 28 and details of activities: vernonika@indochine-group.com Tel: +66 [0]825384080
Phuket, Andaman Region Face More Dive Site ClosuresHis visit is likely to attract wide media attention and is also expected to focus on the issues that are troubling the Phuket diving industry: coral reef bleaching, illegal fishing, ''cowboy'' dive outfits and heavy tourist traffic.
More broadly, shark fishing for shark fin delicacies and plastic pollution will be on the agenda.
Officially, Cousteau's visit from April 25 to April 28 is to promote Cousteau Divers, a global monitoring program based on the active involvement of recreational divers around the world.
The visit will be sponsored by IndoChine, the Phuket resort where entrepreneur Michael ''The Dude'' Ma has been earning kudos for his approach to environmental issues.
Mr Ma attracted a large audience on Friday when he spoke to the International Business Association of Phuket and undertook to support John Gray's annual clean-up of Phang Nga Bay.
Cousteau Divers, say organisers of the visit, aims to ''raise the awareness of recreational users of the sea, of its fragility and to empower them to help study and protect it. The visit is also to help promote marine conservation in the Andaman Sea region.''
Mr Cousteau, 29, youngest son of Jacques Cousteau, will meet the Thai Diving Association on April 27. He will also conduct seminars on Phuket, a dive excursion to Phi Phi, address a gala dinner, meet members of Phuket's diving community and advise children on diving.
His visit comes amid contentious official restrictions on some popular Phuket and Andaman dive sites, aimed at allowing the region's reefs to recover from last year's unusual high-temperatures and severe bleaching of popular surface coral sites.
Thai authorities have been provoked into paying closer attention to the lack of regulation of the dive industry, and to consider sterner action against long-tolerated illegal fishing by trawlers in marine parks.
Films made by Mr Cousteau's father helped to widen interest in diving and preservation of the marine environment. Cousteau became a global byword for adventures at sea.
Several non-profit organisations bear the Cousteau name, including cousteaudivers.org, where the front page says: ''By uniting a community of divers who are concerned about the marine environment, Cousteau Divers brings the legacy of Jacques-Yves Cousteau to life, making each diver an agent of the study and conservation of the aquatic realm.''
Reservations for the gala dinner at IndoChine on Phuket on April 28 and details of activities: vernonika@indochine-group.com Tel: +66 [0]825384080
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I hope Mr. Cousteau arranges his taxis well in advance.
Posted by Mike Boyd on April 12, 2011 16:46