BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Most of the seas around Thailand have been in a good and stable condition during the past eight years, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry reported.
In its recent sea environment report to the Cabinet, the ministry said the condition of 75 per cent of Thai seas were “good quality”, 22 per cent were “good enough quality” and 3 per cent were “bad quality”.
The ministry reported that from 2014 to 2021, the quality of Thai seas was stable and there was not much change.
Regarding the environmental damage caused by oil spills, the ministry reported that there were 44 oil leaks caused by cargo liners, fishing boats, cruise ships, and oil tankers in Rayong and Chonburi provinces.
The ministry also reported that the authorities had removed 443,987 tonnes of garbage from beaches and coastal areas last year. The report blamed plastic bags found in the sea mainly on food delivery services, which had led to increased use of plastic bags.
On the statistics of tourists being injured by box jellyfishes, the ministry reported that from 1999 to 2021, 46 people were stung by venomous jellyfishes and 10 people were killed; one of them was killed last year in Surat Thani province.
The ministry also reported that there were 25 phenomena of sea water changing colour last year and most of them happened in Chonburi, but not in the Andaman Sea.
