Tourism will survive banned diving sites: Phuket

Phuket’s decision to close 18 diving sites in up to seven marine national parks will not impact the country’s tourism, Center for Tourism Development said.The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department announced earlier this month that it would close the sites off to divers in the hopes to save the coral, which is at 70 percent – 100 percent bleached in some areas, Phuket Gazette reported.

Center for Tourism Development Department of National Parks officer Malinee Jannoi does not expect tourism to be affected by the decision because less than ten percent of the parks would be closed.Despite encouraging divers to visit other sites, Mr Jannoi is insisting more sites be closed off as coral “[is] still being damaged by people standing on the corals, such as at Koh Hei”.

According to the source among the locations off limits to divers include; Koh Chueak in Hat Chao Mai National Park, Koh Bulon in Mu Ko Petra National Park, Ao Fai Wap and East of Eden at Mu Ko Similan National Park and Hin Klang reef at Hat Noppharat Thara.Dive operators in the area have rejected the department’s coral protection ban, stating that divers are not the cause of the bleaching.

“It makes me very sad that divers are being blamed for damaging coral, which is absolutely ridiculous,” Sea Bees Khao Lak manager Markus said.“Of course protection is needed – but logical protection.“Coral bleaching is from global warming, not from divers.”While Dive Master Co Phuket operator Surapoom Kwankajohnkit said moving the divers will encourage fishing boats to fish closer to the islands, causing further coral erosion.

Source = etravelblackboardasia