PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times
In what some may see as a baffling contradiction, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha promised to protect marine life, while simultaneously rejecting an growing variety of calls for a ban on single-use plastic bags.
Following the death of Marium, a younger dugong who had ingested plastic waste, the PM says he has ordered the agencies involved to take extra measures to guard sea life.
Of specific concern to the PM is the destiny of another young dugong.
“Yamil should not die”.
The PM says the use of some plastic might be banned by 2022, together with single-use plastic bags, but insists the problem isn’t solely the government’s responsibility.
“Everyone has an obligation to help reduce plastic waste. It is unfair and pointless to blame the federal government when sea animals die because of marine waste. This issue is everyone’s duty,” he maintains.
A conservation plan known as the “Marium Project” has been approved by the cabinet, together with a quantity of other proposals to protect marine life, particularly dugongs.
Among Premiere is a plan to create extra dugong conservation areas similar to Koh Libong in Trang province, where Marium was taken care of. The chosen websites ought to have beaches rich in sea-grass, a most popular food supply for the dugong..