New Rules for Thailand's National Parks

Back in July we posted news of our 'pre-season' trips on MV Philkade. An exciting couple of trips to the local Phuket sites of Phi Phi, Ko Haa & Racha Islands, while enjoying the comfort and luxury of a liveaboard cruise on MV Philkade. These trips came about as a direct response to speculation that the Similan Islands were going to be closed throughout October. Now, the rules have finally been set in stone...

The document issued to all dive operators is entitled, Control Measures for Tourism Entrepreneurs in Marine National Parks and can be viewed on the Thai Forestry Department's website. The marine national parks will be open to divers from the 15th November. Divers may enter the parks from 1st November and pay a small fine, which is remarkably similar to the Park Fee payable normally - this is what MV Philkade will be doing. However it is absolutely not permitted to enter the marine national parks for diving before 1st November 2008. Any boat doing so faces the forfeit of their boat license.

Here at Aquamarine Divers, we think the rules and regulations are a good thing. For example, diver numbers on any particular dive site at any particular time have been limited. This should prevent the craziness that is hoards of divers turning up on day-trip boats to dive the Similans, sometimes with upwards of 50 divers on each boat! Furthermore the rules are aimed at more sustainable tourism through the protection of the coral reefs. Not only do we hope to see less divers on the dive sites as a result of the new rules but our coral reefs will be further protected by the following measures:

• Absolutely no garbage to be thrown overboard


• No feeding of the marine creatures


• A minimum qualification requirement for all divers (the required diving qualifications will be published soon)

Many marine national parks around the world already impose such measures, often they impose even stricter ones. Hopefully these rules can be enforced effectively so we can enjoy Thailand's beautiful coral reefs with less divers and more fish for many more years to come.

As a result of the new rules, Aquamarine Divers now have to submit a dive plan to the national park IN ADVANCE of each liveaboard cruise. Anybody that is looking to be on MV Philkade this season, please make sure that you accurately fill out our booking form with as much information as possible. We don't want to miss out on any of the top dive sites so it is imperative that we provide the national parks with our dive plan (including list of guests on board and their diving history) as soon as possible! To download our MV Philkade booking form, simply click on 'I Agree' at the bottom of MV Philkade's On-line Booking Policy.

If anybody has any questions or concerns regarding the above then please feel free to contact us.

Sharks need defending!

Now, I am no 'tree-hugger' and don't like to come across as preaching about this and that to all and sundry. That said, a recent item of news from Australia got me really riled, hence this particular blog entry. This entry is not directly about MV Philkade but as guests on board MV Philkade generally expect to see (and usually do see) sharks in the surrounding waters of Thailand, Burma, the Andaman Islands and Indonesia, I think it has relevance. Less sharks around the world has knock-on effects ultimately meaning less sharks here too.

The shocking news is that the Queensland government of Australia will establish a dedicated shark fishery in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area which will service the international trade in shark fin. In essence, they plan to legitimise one of the most unsustainable forms of fishing in the World - that of shark finning. To do this, they plan to hand out specific fishing licences for shark fin fishing allowing fishers to catch up to 700 tonnes of sharks each year thereby legitimising shark fishing in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and in some national marine parks.

You may be wondering why I am so angry about this proposal but when you bear in mind that sharks are undergoing global collapse and are thought to have declined by as much as 90% in the world's oceans, it is little wonder. It seems to me that there is little to be gained (if anything) from such a proposal but there is everything to lose. You can read more information on the situation and take action yourself with a simple pre-written letter to the Queensland government through the web site of the Australian Marine Conservation Society .

A strong argument for any kind of commercial fishing has always been that there will be fishermen left unemployed with no obvious transferable skills, therefore no income to feed themselves and their families. This is a fair point. That is why I was so happy to read recently that a group of Marine Animal Researchers have come up with a way round this for Indonesia's fishermen. Of course, it makes sense that these experienced fishermen possess a wealth of knowledge about the migratory habits of whale sharks travelling between Australia and South-East Asia. So why not put them to use? That's right, Indonesian fishermen that have been banned from hunting certain species in the waters off North Australia can instead work as sea rangers to monitor the vulnerable whale shark populations. Genius! The full article can be viewed on the web site of Radio Australia .

Please, please let us do what we can to save the world's shark population. I am hoping for a good sharkey season on board MV Philkade this coming season!

Hope Springs Eternal for Turtles

A recent article in the Phuket Gazette reported on two stories regarding the local turtle populations. One Green Turtle and one Olive Ridley Turtle were rescued in June when they were found in different places around Phuket with 'fishing equipment' causing them real problems.

Both turtles had to undergo 'flipperectomies', but both seem to be doing well. The Green Turtle, named Sui and a very healthy 75kg, is expected to be released in a few months time in the area where she was found. Unfortunately the little Olive Ridley, named Hope and only 13kg, is having bouyancy issues, which I'm sure all divers can appreciate.

For now it's thought that both specimens should eventually be fine in the wild with a little assistance in their time of need. Fingers crossed everyone.

Nok Air U-turn

Only 6 days after announcing it was ceasing flights from Bangkok to Phuket, Nok Air has announced it will be re-instating them, in a limited capacity, from August 9th. The decision seems to stem from media reports here in Thailand that people are stranded in Bangkok when they desperately want to get to Phuket.

For now the announcement only states that flights will be run throughout August, and only on Saturdays and Sundays, though it can be expected that they will continue beyond that. Watch this space for more news.

For now however, our previous advice still stands. Book your Bangkok-Phuket flights as early as possible to avoid disappointment!

Book your flights early!

It's all over the news here in Phuket, 'Phuket-bound tourists stranded in Bangkok'.

In actual fact, the situation is not quite as traumatic as this headline would have readers believe but still, it is a concern. Now that One-Two-Go and Nok Air (two Thai domestic airlines) have stopped flying to Phuket, many tourists are unable to find flights to our lovely southern island unless they have booked way in advance.

Our advice... if you are looking to visit Phuket in the coming months, for a liveaboard diving trip or otherwise, book your flights EARLY! The last thing you need is to find that you have booked your luxury liveaboard trip on board MV Philkade but will be stranded in Bangkok unable to reach the boat!

At the time of writing this flights from Bangkok to Phuket are available if booked in advance with Air Asia, THAI Airways & Bangkok Airways.
For further up to date travel advice you can view MV Philkade's travel facts page.

Watch this space...