Increased fishing in the Gulf of Thailand has led to fewer whales using the area as a feeding ground this year, according to a marine biologist from the Kasetsat University in Thailand.
Khun Thorn Thamrongnawasawat said that surveys show that this year much fewer whales were feeding in the Gulf of Thailand than in the past, probably because there was less plankton in the gulf due to over-fishing for small fish for use in Thailand's dried fish industry.
On a more positive note, coral that had been bleached around 5 years ago was now beginning to revive in the gulf of Thailand, but Khun Thorn warned that it would take at least 20 years for the coral to return to its original state.
He also noted that changes in the colour of the seawater around the southern resort districts of Hua Hin and Cha-am did not affect the physical properties of coral, but warned that local Thai people should not eat fish that washed up on the beach near Hua Hin and Cha Am, as they might contain dangerous toxins.
