Fishermen told to leave Koh Samui beach
AN official team moved to clear a Koh Samui beach after complaints from residents and tourists that fishermen from other parts of the country had moved in and were polluting both the beach and the sea, Matichon newspaper said today (June 13).
A team of soldiers from Fourth Army Region, police from Bophut station and municipality officials went to check Bangrak beach and found that some fishermen had built around 20 flimsy houses across approximately 100 meters of this public beach and were throwing garbage and damaged fishnets on the beach and discarding untreated wastewater from their kitchen and toilet into the sea.
Because they moored their boats and repaired their fishing nets there Koh Samui residents and tourists could no longer walk on this beach.
Wachiraphan Meedej, a civil engineer at Koh Samui municipality, said the fishermen were given an explanation and told to dismantle their housing today but they asked for time till the Ramadan fasting period ended. Officials agreed to this but told them to stop releasing untreated wastewater into the sea and immediately collect garbage littered around.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Officials talking to fishermen who have taken over a Koh Samui beach. Photo: Matichon
Inset: Filmsy houses and shacks on Bangrak beach which the fishermen had built. Photo: Matichon
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