Surin Islands: The Director-General of the Department of National Parks has ordered legal action against a Myanmar cargo ship that ran aground on a coral reef in the Surin Islands National Park, along with a claim for over 12 million baht in damages. He has ordered the salvage of the ship to be expedited with the least impact on the coral reef.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, revealed that in the case of the Myanmar cargo ship 'MV.AYAR LINN' running aground on a coral reef in the bay of Surin Islands National Park, Phang Nga Province, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, has collaborated with relevant agencies to urgently assess the damage and determine the legal guidelines for those responsible, both criminally and civilly, and to prepare the compensation figures for the affected natural resources.
The preliminary survey results of the officers found that the coral reef was damaged for a distance of approximately 75 meters, especially the 45-75 meters where the ship was directly crushed. It is estimated that the damaged coral area is approximately 150 square meters. The main types of coral affected are blue coral (Heliopora coerulea) damaged by approximately 80%, staghorn coral (Acropora sp.) damaged by 15%, boulder coral (Porites lutea) damaged by 5%, and many broken coral colonies such as short groove brain coral (Platygyra daedalea), cauliflower coral (Pocillopora), and star coral (Leptastrea purpurea).
In addition, debris from ships, such as cardboard, scraps of cloth, truck tires, and hoses, were found stuck on coral reefs, which could affect the recovery of marine ecosystems.
The Director-General of the National Park Department stated that the compensation assessment used the standard criteria of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, considering compensation from restoration (R), ecological opportunity cost (O), and operation cost (C), totaling 12,035,477.50 baht, divided into:
Coral reef restoration cost (R) = 10,003,927.50 baht
Opportunity cost (O) = 1,631,550 baht
Operating cost (C) = 400,000 baht
The Department of National Parks has ordered the urgent collection of evidence to prosecute both criminally and civilly, as well as coordinating with relevant agencies such as the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Marine Research Center, the Regional Harbor, the Marine Department, the Royal Thai Navy, and the Kuraburi Provincial Police to determine a plan to salvage the ship with the least impact on the coral, and to plan the restoration in close collaboration with academics and network partners.