The gulf has become
a gigantic septic tank, and since it is a relatively
shallow and enclosed
body of water, it cannot take much more abuse.
The Thai government's
attitude toward these problems has largely been one
of,
''out of sight,
out of mind". There are now signs of a change, particularly
with the recent
creation of a Gulf Rehabilitation Office, but cleaning
it up
will take a lot
of coordination among Thai government agencies and the
countries surrounding
it.
Managing the gulf's
fisheries sustainably is probably the most urgent priority.
Protecting the mangrove
forests and coral reefs which serve as the breeding
and
feeding grounds
for fish and other marine animals is equally important.
But the
benefits of such
programmes will be much reduced unless greater attention
is
paid to the pollution
we pour into the gulf. How ironic if we have more
fish in
the future, but
find they are too toxic to eat.
This issue is only
beginning to be discussed. Researchers have recently
found,
for instance, that
a chemical known as TBT, which is used in marine paints
to
keep the hulls of
ships free of clinging organisms, has been leaking into
the
sea and seriously
affecting shellfish populations around major shipping
lanes.
In some species,
the tin-based compound has the bizarre effect of causing
a
change in gender,
preventing reproduction. In others, it can damage the
animals
or simply kill off
the larvae. The long-term results are the same: a drastic
decline in shellfish
populations, and severe damage to the marine ecosystem.
Fixing the problem
will not be easy, as ships from all over the world come
to
call at Thailand's
ports. But the Harbour Department could at least start
by
enforcing the rules
of the Marpol Convention: banning the use of TBT on
small
boats and regulating
the contents of marine paints.
Cadmium contamination
is another major problem. This toxic heavy metal
is
turning up in high
concentrations in many fish species and has caused at
least
one foreign country,
Italy, to reject some Thai fishery export shipments.
No
one knows the source
of the pollution fertiliser or industrial runoff
are two
likely possibilities
but it's time to find out.
Greater attention
has been paid to what may be the most dangerous pollutant,
mercury, and the
role of natural gas producers Unocal and Total in disch
arging
this neurotoxin
into the gulf. Public exposure has helped spur them to
tackle
this problem more
urgently, but keep in mind that we largely depend on
the oil
companies to monitor
their own activities, and tell us the results.
There are also many
other sources for the mercury (and other dangerous
chemicals) found
in the gulf which have yet to be revealed, particularly
on the
Eastern Seaboard.
Some state agencies the Harbour Department, the Department
of Mineral Resources,
the Fisheries Department, and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA)
may have information on these contaminants, but
they are
not talking to each
other, much less the public. Their negligence borders
on
the criminal.
The Pollution Control
Department may yet become the independent auditor
we so
desperately need,
but it still lacks the budget, manpower and equipment
to do
the job thoroughly.
In the meantime, industry is expanding, not just in
Thailand but around
the gulf. We all have to sound the alarm now, using
our
power as consumers,
as voters and custodians of the planet.
Will the gulf that
bears our name become a toxic pond, or a sea of abundance?
The next few years
should tell us the answer.