Thailand's Eastern coast is dotted with vacation spots that everyone knows - for example, Pattaya, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Koh Chang in Trat province. When you decide to head to one of them for some time at the beach, the usual practice is to stick to the main roads and waste no time so you can get there in a hurry.
SHELL GAME: A vendor sells fresh crabs at Nong Mon market, clockwise from above, local ‘seekoon’ fish, ‘khao tom pla’, and fresh shrimp pickled in ‘nam pla’, or fish sauce.
But if it is food rather than beach time you are interested in, there is no need to go so far, and you can take your time.
A leisurely drive to Chon Buri followed by some exploring along the smaller back roads and inside Ang Sila will turn up plenty of interesting delicacies.
Today, I would like to focus just on fresh and dried foods and other edibles that are available not far from Bang Saen. Let's start with the route leading into Bang Saen.
Before you arrive at Chon Buri city, you will come to a major intersection with traffic lights, the Bang Sai three-way intersection. Take a right turn there onto the road that leads to Bang Saen, a narrow and windy one. After driving for about one kilometre, you will come to a marketplace, with ample parking space available, on the left. It is an old market, but renovation is now underway, although goods are still being sold on the sidewalks in front of and along the perimeter of it.
The first interesting sight you will encounter there is a stand selling jaeng lawn, a local speciality sold in seaside provinces (it can also be found not only in Chon Buri but also in towns on the western coast like Hua Hin and Cha-am). It is made of finely chopped fish meat, mixed with fresh curry paste and ground coconut, and seasoned to make it salty and slightly sweet with a chilli bite. Shredded kaffir lime leaf is scattered on the mixture, which is then shaped into pieces that are put on skewers for grilling. Vendors cook them on a grill in the early morning and keep selling them until they run out around noon. This snack is not all that easy to find, so when you do find it, buy.
Nearby is a stand that sells semi-dried rays. The type sold there are called pla krabane nok, ("bird ray"), and are rather small, about 30.5-cm in diameter. The reason behind its name is that it likes to leap above the surface of the seawater and glide along for short distances. The meat of the "wings" (the pectoral fins) of the fish is tender although rather dark in colour, and people who live near the sea like it very much. They cut it into pieces, then dry it in the sun for a day. It is delicious when fried and eaten with rice, and it is inexpensive. Half a kilogramme costs only 100 baht and is enough for several days' consumption.
On the soi next to the market, fresh and dried fish as well as fresh shrimp and prawns are sold. One particularly interesting item is fresh shrimp pickled in nam pla (fish sauce). The old woman who sells it is an expert at pickling shrimp this way, and makes them specially for sale. In the old days, Thais liked to eat them with steaming-hot khao tom, or rice soup.
About 300 metres away from the market, across from the nearby pier, is a small store where a grandmotherly-looking woman sells nam pla from Rayong. The brand name is Erawan, and the product comes from a small factory that still makes the condiment the old-fashioned way, a process that takes eight months. It smells delicious, and costs only 30 baht a bottle.
This is only the briefest sampling of what is available in the area of this Chon Buri market.
A market that is best to visit in the late afternoon or evening is Nong Mon market, on the main road to Pattaya. The fresh produce area is deep inside the market, far from the road. Late in the day, in front of the fresh market area, meaty crabs of the type called poo ma (horse crab) are sold. They are kept in big basins, the water in which is oxygenated by means of pumps working continuously to keep the crabs alive.
These ubiquitous crabs are available in many sizes and price ranges, with the cheapest ones going for 280 baht a kilogramme. Customers can eat them right away, because there is a steaming service that cooks the crabs on the premises and serves them with a spicy dipping sauce. They are certainly fresh, but sometimes the meat isn't too firm, because after being kept for even a day it becomes a little soft, unlike meat from crabs fresh from the sea.
Around the sides of Nong Mon market are interesting stalls selling different kinds of fish just brought in from the sea by fishermen. Buyers can never be sure that the kind of fish they want is there, because not all types are caught every day, but they will probably not be disappointed if they are looking for pla seekoon, a mackerel species similar to the popular pla thoo, but bigger. Its tasty, firm meat is perfect for frying and topping with nam pla or chilli sauce.
On their lucky days, buyers may find pla chome ngahm and/or pla nuan jan, both of which are scaleless types of fish with succulent meat that makes good kaeng som or kaeng pa, or which can be fried and served with chilli sauce poured over it. When people are fortunate enough to find these fish, they don't haggle over the price but buy a plastic box and some ice from a vendor, pack the fish inside, and rush it home.
Around the sidelines of the market are vendors selling sweets and special local dishes. The khao tom with fried shellfish is definitely worth a try.
Early in the morning, beginning at about half past seven, in a different part of Nong Mon market's wet market section is an area where dried seafood is sold along with breakfast foods that include curry and rice, kui tio pla (noodles with fish), khao tom, coffee and sweet snacks and desserts.
The prepared foods, which include curries and stir-fries, are really good, as can be seen from the large numbers of people who come to buy them and the lengths of time they are willing to wait to be served (there are tables and chairs set out for diners). Right nearby is a vendor whose pork noodles are tasty enough to be a true must, and in the middle of the market is a shop that sells khao tom pla (literally, fish in rice soup) made in the style typical of eateries in seaside areas. The rice grains are still firm rather than soft and mushy, and customers can choose between fresh fish, shrimp or squid.
Mae Nit has been selling her hor moke (fish meat steamed in a spicy, curried coconut sauce together with herbs and takes the form of a custard packed in a smallish banana-leaf cup) in this market for more than 30 years. Seaside-style hor moke tends to be sweeter and softer than the versions sold in Bangkok and other places in the Central Region.
Coffee, brewed the old-fashioned way with a long cloth bag, is available for those who want to start the day off with a glass or two. These two markets are only two among the many that inhabit Chon Buri, each with its own, individual selection of good stuff to eat that includes local dishes not found elsewhere.
If you decide to do some exploring, you won't have to drive far, and a choice culinary adventure is guaranteed.
Monday, September 21, 2009
REELING'EM IN
It's only 5am and already about 40 tourists are ahead of us, squeezed into a roped-off aisle and surrounded by more than a hundred frozen tuna. The fish are laid out in neat rows on the floor of the chilly warehouse, giving off a faint frozen mist under the fluorescent lighting. We jostle for position and mill about excitedly, waiting for Tokyo's famous tuna auction to begin.
Men in work shirts and rubber boots bend over the solid carcasses, inspecting them by lifting a 10-cen-timetre-flap of skin that's been neatly cut open on each one, or peering at the cut-off tail end with a flashlight. The weight of each fish is written in kilograms; these, at 50kg a pop, are the smaller tuna.
A cowbell rings, and the auctioneer launches into the rhythmic chanting that marks this ritual, moving slowly through the room flanked by several men with notepads as the buyers hover near their choices and make finger signals. My daughter and I aren't sure who gets what, or at what price - the tuna are sold in groups of six or seven at a time - but we feel we are witnessing an important transaction.
Tsukiji (pronounced tsu-kee-jee), the world's largest fish market, is also the world's finest fish theratre, a diaily drama you can witness free. Even if you have only one day in Tokyo, you should spend part of the morning here. Secafood is at the heart of Japanese cuisine, and Tsukiji anchors a vast distribution system that delivers more than 2,200 tons of it every night. The immense bounty turns into daintily wrapped supermarket packages of two or three slices of perfect salmon or arrives at restaurant sushi counters by lunchtime.
The market's operations are staggering. Throughout the night, the seafood arrives from all over the world, delivered by tankers and trucks from other ports and the airport. More than 40,000 people buy and sell about 450 species and varieties of fish at the market's more than 1,500 stalls.
The lure of Tsukiji, however, is not so much its size and importance but the live theatre you can walk right through. Surrounded by warehouses, the inner market is a maze of stalls. You squeeze through the aisles, surrounded by tubs and tanks and plastic-foam trays filled with wriggling, glistening creatures from the sea, along with the frozen tuna that is being sawed into pieces for wholesale customers, and other fish being pulled from tanks onto chopping blocks. People yell to each other, water squirts up from clams and crustaceans, hoses send streams of water across the concrete floors. Buyers fill their wicker baskets.
Tsukiji is a serioous place of business, and yet the people who work there are remarkably tolerant of tourists. That tolerance reached its limit late last year, however, when a tourist reportedly licked the head of a tuna. For some weeks afterward, during the busy new Year's season, the popular tuna auction was closed to visitors. It's open again. Cordoning off the tourists in the middle of the room protects the merchandise from public displays of affection.
Be sure to obey the rules posted in English at the market entrance: Watch for trucks and trolleys, don't go to the market in groups of more than five, don't carry large bags that will get in the way, wear closed-toe shoes (and no high heels) and refrain from touching the fish. It is up to you to get out of the way of careening carts and the occasional escaped eel.
Entering the market is a little trickly, because whether you go in through the main gate, across the street from the Asahi Newspaper building, or through side entrances, you have to weave through a stream of trucks and carts. Once inside the warehouse, you can wander among the stalls, being mindful of the people who are there to conduct business. The market opens before dawn, but unless you want to see the auction, it's best to go after 8, when the pace begins to slow. By late morning, the market is packing up and shutting down.
It's within walking distance of the Ginza shopping district and also easy to reach by subway or taxi. I've gone to Tsukiji for years, both to take visitors and to buy fish. Regular shoppers aren't supposed to make purchases at the inner market, but if I wait until 9am, nobody seems to mind if I point to a large salmon fillet, have it weighed and pay the woman at the booth.
Make sure to save time for the outer market, which covers several blocks adjacent to the wholesale market. Sushi shops and tempura and noodle stalls are scattered throughout. If you're serious about trying the best sushi, look for a line and join it.
The outer market is the place to shop. You can buy pottery and kitchenware, including ladles, small grills, pots and pans, mortars, teapots and chopsticks. The hours correspond roughly to those of the inner market.
IF YOU GO...
Check out the market at www.Tsukiji-Market.or.jp/tuki-ji_e.htm.
Nearest subway stations: Tsukiji on the Hibiya line brings you to within a half-block of the outer market; you will see the Honganji Buddhist temple as you exit the subway. Tsukijishijo on the Toei Oedo line brings you to the market's main entrance.
Men in work shirts and rubber boots bend over the solid carcasses, inspecting them by lifting a 10-cen-timetre-flap of skin that's been neatly cut open on each one, or peering at the cut-off tail end with a flashlight. The weight of each fish is written in kilograms; these, at 50kg a pop, are the smaller tuna.
A cowbell rings, and the auctioneer launches into the rhythmic chanting that marks this ritual, moving slowly through the room flanked by several men with notepads as the buyers hover near their choices and make finger signals. My daughter and I aren't sure who gets what, or at what price - the tuna are sold in groups of six or seven at a time - but we feel we are witnessing an important transaction.
Tsukiji (pronounced tsu-kee-jee), the world's largest fish market, is also the world's finest fish theratre, a diaily drama you can witness free. Even if you have only one day in Tokyo, you should spend part of the morning here. Secafood is at the heart of Japanese cuisine, and Tsukiji anchors a vast distribution system that delivers more than 2,200 tons of it every night. The immense bounty turns into daintily wrapped supermarket packages of two or three slices of perfect salmon or arrives at restaurant sushi counters by lunchtime.
The market's operations are staggering. Throughout the night, the seafood arrives from all over the world, delivered by tankers and trucks from other ports and the airport. More than 40,000 people buy and sell about 450 species and varieties of fish at the market's more than 1,500 stalls.
The lure of Tsukiji, however, is not so much its size and importance but the live theatre you can walk right through. Surrounded by warehouses, the inner market is a maze of stalls. You squeeze through the aisles, surrounded by tubs and tanks and plastic-foam trays filled with wriggling, glistening creatures from the sea, along with the frozen tuna that is being sawed into pieces for wholesale customers, and other fish being pulled from tanks onto chopping blocks. People yell to each other, water squirts up from clams and crustaceans, hoses send streams of water across the concrete floors. Buyers fill their wicker baskets.
Tsukiji is a serioous place of business, and yet the people who work there are remarkably tolerant of tourists. That tolerance reached its limit late last year, however, when a tourist reportedly licked the head of a tuna. For some weeks afterward, during the busy new Year's season, the popular tuna auction was closed to visitors. It's open again. Cordoning off the tourists in the middle of the room protects the merchandise from public displays of affection.
Be sure to obey the rules posted in English at the market entrance: Watch for trucks and trolleys, don't go to the market in groups of more than five, don't carry large bags that will get in the way, wear closed-toe shoes (and no high heels) and refrain from touching the fish. It is up to you to get out of the way of careening carts and the occasional escaped eel.
Entering the market is a little trickly, because whether you go in through the main gate, across the street from the Asahi Newspaper building, or through side entrances, you have to weave through a stream of trucks and carts. Once inside the warehouse, you can wander among the stalls, being mindful of the people who are there to conduct business. The market opens before dawn, but unless you want to see the auction, it's best to go after 8, when the pace begins to slow. By late morning, the market is packing up and shutting down.
It's within walking distance of the Ginza shopping district and also easy to reach by subway or taxi. I've gone to Tsukiji for years, both to take visitors and to buy fish. Regular shoppers aren't supposed to make purchases at the inner market, but if I wait until 9am, nobody seems to mind if I point to a large salmon fillet, have it weighed and pay the woman at the booth.
Make sure to save time for the outer market, which covers several blocks adjacent to the wholesale market. Sushi shops and tempura and noodle stalls are scattered throughout. If you're serious about trying the best sushi, look for a line and join it.
The outer market is the place to shop. You can buy pottery and kitchenware, including ladles, small grills, pots and pans, mortars, teapots and chopsticks. The hours correspond roughly to those of the inner market.
IF YOU GO...
Check out the market at www.Tsukiji-Market.or.jp/tuki-ji_e.htm.
Nearest subway stations: Tsukiji on the Hibiya line brings you to within a half-block of the outer market; you will see the Honganji Buddhist temple as you exit the subway. Tsukijishijo on the Toei Oedo line brings you to the market's main entrance.
Certification for EU due in December
The Fisheries Department plans to start certifying seafood products from nonIUU (illegal, unregulated, unreported)fishing for exports to Europe by December, one month ahead of schedule.
The acceleration of the process aims to assure the European Union of the willingness of the Thai fishery industry to comply with the new rule, according to Somying Piumsombun, the directorgeneral of the department.
She said that during the discussions with the head of the EU's Directorate General For Maritime Affairs and Fisheries early this month, the EU agreed with the certification process drafted by the Fisheries Department, an EUappointed competent authority.
The process enables the EU to trace back the origins of fishery products including catch certificates of trawlers,boarding ports and processing venues,she said.
The EU will ban any entry of fishery products suspected of being caught by IUU fishing starting in 2010 to help eliminate IUU fishing activities around the world and preserve the marine ecology and environment.
According to Dr Somying, operators - from fishermen and cold-storage manufacturers to seafood processors - will be informed of the new guidelines at a meeting late this month in Samut Sakhon,the country's main fishery hub. More meetings will also be held in coastal provinces.
Songsang Patavanich, an honorary adviser to the Thai Overseas Fisheries Association, said that the EU's new rule would help clear Thailand of rampant illegal and excessive fishing allegations lodged by foreign countries.
He suggested that the Fisheries Department revamp the industry by enforcing the use of proper fishing tools to preserve fish stocks and register all trawlers.
The non-IUU certificates will help Thai fishery products to meet the requirements of non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace in Australia and the EU, which call for the imports of non-IUU fishing products.
The acceleration of the process aims to assure the European Union of the willingness of the Thai fishery industry to comply with the new rule, according to Somying Piumsombun, the directorgeneral of the department.
She said that during the discussions with the head of the EU's Directorate General For Maritime Affairs and Fisheries early this month, the EU agreed with the certification process drafted by the Fisheries Department, an EUappointed competent authority.
The process enables the EU to trace back the origins of fishery products including catch certificates of trawlers,boarding ports and processing venues,she said.
The EU will ban any entry of fishery products suspected of being caught by IUU fishing starting in 2010 to help eliminate IUU fishing activities around the world and preserve the marine ecology and environment.
According to Dr Somying, operators - from fishermen and cold-storage manufacturers to seafood processors - will be informed of the new guidelines at a meeting late this month in Samut Sakhon,the country's main fishery hub. More meetings will also be held in coastal provinces.
Songsang Patavanich, an honorary adviser to the Thai Overseas Fisheries Association, said that the EU's new rule would help clear Thailand of rampant illegal and excessive fishing allegations lodged by foreign countries.
He suggested that the Fisheries Department revamp the industry by enforcing the use of proper fishing tools to preserve fish stocks and register all trawlers.
The non-IUU certificates will help Thai fishery products to meet the requirements of non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace in Australia and the EU, which call for the imports of non-IUU fishing products.
Friday, September 18, 2009
INDUSTRIES READY TO STAND IN DEFENCE AGAINST US CHARGES
Three Thai industries-shrimp, garment and sugar-may face difficulties in exports to the US next year due to accusations of hiring child and migrant labour.
Kessiri Siripakorn, minister (commercial) for the Office of Commercial Affairs in Washington DC, said the US Labour Department had issued an announcement against the industries.
"Thai industries will have 90 days, until the middle of December, to clarify about the accusations. If they may be subjected to trade barriers," said Kessiri.
She called for the government and related industries to discuss the matter and present clear evidence to defend their industries.
Kessiri warned that under the Barack Obama administration, all industries must be aware of new non-tariff barriers, particularly ones focusing on labour and environment.
Thai manufacturers would face greater difficulties in exporting if they do not promptly deal with rising non-tariff barriers, she said.
Poj Aramwattananont, president of Thai Frozen Foods Association, said the US government report was untrue and the association had already presented evidence to the US Embassy in Bangkok.
The association will also present evidence regarding the matter to Washington as the association has frequently worked in cooperation with Immigration Custom Enforcement for inspecting all factories and their suppliers to ensure they have not hired any child or migrant labour in the industry.
So far, more than 1,000 factories have been investigated. The industry employs more than a million people. We are confident no child or migrant labour was hired in our industry, Poj said.
To ensure that the shrimp and other industries will not face any obstacles resulting from the report, the association will soon meet the Foreign Ministry and related Thai government agencies to clarify the issue to the US government.
Wallop Vitanakorn, secretary general of the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, said the US report must have been the result of a misunderstanding.
He said most garment exporters to the US must normally comply with high standards required by their importers, including labour issues.
Export of garments to the US must follow a "code of conduct" which specifies that no migrant labour of child labour must be hired in the industry. Moreover, under the agreement between Thai garment manufacturers and American buyers, it states that employers must have a fair contract with laborers, including restricting maximum period of work to 60 hours a week, and set a fair payment and days off, as per the law.
Wallop said American buyers also regularly send teams to inspect their factories every six months to ensure the producers had followed the code of conduct.
He said it was impossible for garment exporters to break this tight rule. The association will soon cooperate with the Thai government and collect information to defend against this accusation.
Under the Barack Obama administration, all industries must be aware of new no tariff barriers, particularly ones focusing on labour and environment.
Kessiri Siripakorn, minister (commercial) for the Office of Commercial Affairs in Washington DC, said the US Labour Department had issued an announcement against the industries.
"Thai industries will have 90 days, until the middle of December, to clarify about the accusations. If they may be subjected to trade barriers," said Kessiri.
She called for the government and related industries to discuss the matter and present clear evidence to defend their industries.
Kessiri warned that under the Barack Obama administration, all industries must be aware of new non-tariff barriers, particularly ones focusing on labour and environment.
Thai manufacturers would face greater difficulties in exporting if they do not promptly deal with rising non-tariff barriers, she said.
Poj Aramwattananont, president of Thai Frozen Foods Association, said the US government report was untrue and the association had already presented evidence to the US Embassy in Bangkok.
The association will also present evidence regarding the matter to Washington as the association has frequently worked in cooperation with Immigration Custom Enforcement for inspecting all factories and their suppliers to ensure they have not hired any child or migrant labour in the industry.
So far, more than 1,000 factories have been investigated. The industry employs more than a million people. We are confident no child or migrant labour was hired in our industry, Poj said.
To ensure that the shrimp and other industries will not face any obstacles resulting from the report, the association will soon meet the Foreign Ministry and related Thai government agencies to clarify the issue to the US government.
Wallop Vitanakorn, secretary general of the Thai Garment Manufacturers Association, said the US report must have been the result of a misunderstanding.
He said most garment exporters to the US must normally comply with high standards required by their importers, including labour issues.
Export of garments to the US must follow a "code of conduct" which specifies that no migrant labour of child labour must be hired in the industry. Moreover, under the agreement between Thai garment manufacturers and American buyers, it states that employers must have a fair contract with laborers, including restricting maximum period of work to 60 hours a week, and set a fair payment and days off, as per the law.
Wallop said American buyers also regularly send teams to inspect their factories every six months to ensure the producers had followed the code of conduct.
He said it was impossible for garment exporters to break this tight rule. The association will soon cooperate with the Thai government and collect information to defend against this accusation.
Under the Barack Obama administration, all industries must be aware of new no tariff barriers, particularly ones focusing on labour and environment.
Friday, September 11, 2009
A RIVER BECOMING A ROAD TO RUIN
Dams and rock-blasting projects are destroying biodiversity and traditional cultures of the Mekong
The groans and grumbles emanating from Thai villages along the banks of the Mekong right now suggest that the river is in serious trouble. Villagers are complaining that Chinese dams upstream are causing unseasonably high and low levels that are disrupting river life.
One calamity that befell riverside villages in Chiang Rai was a swift surge of two metres in August last year. The residents, as well as environmental groups, blamed this on the opening of gates at several dams in China's Yunnan province, including at the huge barrier in Jinhong, the capital of Xishuangbanna administrative region. In just five minutes, the river level jumped half a metre.
Seen as a harbinger of a bleak future for both farmers and fishermen, this single event inundated farmland and villages in three of Chiang Rai's districts along the river's bank and its tributaries, creating widespread panic and mass evacuations. Such a swift surge hadn't happened in 40 years and the villagers were caught unprepared.
Meanwhile, fishermen are seeing their catches dwindle day by day. As hydropower dams upstream block the river's flow, fish find it hard to adjust to the river's changing ecology. Researchers reckon their seasonal migrations are being disturbed and disrupted by the dam projects.
Almost immediately, locals pointed the finger of blame at the dams in China. But the Thai government is not out of the loop of responsibility. With ample warning from experts and environmentalists, Bangkok can't really say it didn't see this coming. The question is what the government will now do about it.
Last May, the United Nations released a report stating that China's dam-building ambitions pose the greatest threat to the future of the already beleaguered Mekong, one of the world's major rivers and a key source of water, transport and food for the region.
Although the Mekong is widely regarded as a Southeast Asian river, its source is in the Himalayan glaciers high in Tibet. Nearly half of the 4,880-kilometre river flows through China's Yunnan province before it reaches the Southeast Asian nations of Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, where it empties into the South China Sea.
China is constructing a series of eight dams on the upper half of the Mekong, where the river passes through the high gorges of Yunnan. These include the recently completed Xiowan Dam which, at 292 metres high, is the world's tallest. Its storage capacity is equal to all of Southeast Asia's reservoirs combined, the UN report said. The dams are needed to meet China's rapacious energy demands.
Laos, meanwhile, has started construction on 23 dams on the Mekong and its tributaries, expected to be finished by 2010, the UN said. They will act as a means to spur development and lift the country from poverty. Cambodia and Vietnam also have ambitious dam-building plans.
The report also mentioned that the effects of the proposed dam developments include "changes in river flow volume and timing, water quality deterioration and loss of biodiversity".
In addition to the dam-building spree are more river-blasting schemes. The Chinese are going to blow up islets, boulders and other natural barriers in several locations to make the river accessible to 500-tonne cargo craft. The belief is that shipping cargo to trading posts downstream at Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong in Thailand will be more cost-efficient than using air and land routes. And the Chinese are determined to achieve that goal no matter what.
The Thai locals are unsympathetic, pointing to the damage to the river's ecology.
One research project shows that the river junction in the Golden Triangle used to boast 65 types of flora that formed the food source and habitat of river creatures. Locals say that Mekong giant catfish lay their eggs around the islets and boulders that have been earmarked for blasting. Another study found that the lower stretches of the Mekong were capable of yielding fish catches of 11.3 million tonnes per year, and the middle stretches 0.9-1.2 million tonnes, worth an overall Bt105 billion to the local economy.
There have already been attempts to blow up islets in the Chiang Rai Mekong. Somkiat Khuenchiangsa, coordinator for the Natural Resources and Mekong Lanna Culture Conservation Network, says that China targeted Pha Dai in Chiang Rai, a scenic spot popular with tourists. Following villagers' protests, the river there was spared.
That stretch is a habitat for several species of fish. But Chinese engineers consider the islets obstacles to their mega projects.
Somkiat says that Thailand and China shook hands on an agreement to remove the Mekong islets in that area, but local villagers were never consulted.
For now, the Mekong's ordinary folk are finding it hard to make their voices heard, and their way of life is, it seems, steadily being destroyed. Fishermen are leaving their villages to labour in fruit orchards and farms. But the silent cry from the riverbank remains: Stop hurting the Mekong, its plants, creatures and people.
The groans and grumbles emanating from Thai villages along the banks of the Mekong right now suggest that the river is in serious trouble. Villagers are complaining that Chinese dams upstream are causing unseasonably high and low levels that are disrupting river life.
One calamity that befell riverside villages in Chiang Rai was a swift surge of two metres in August last year. The residents, as well as environmental groups, blamed this on the opening of gates at several dams in China's Yunnan province, including at the huge barrier in Jinhong, the capital of Xishuangbanna administrative region. In just five minutes, the river level jumped half a metre.
Seen as a harbinger of a bleak future for both farmers and fishermen, this single event inundated farmland and villages in three of Chiang Rai's districts along the river's bank and its tributaries, creating widespread panic and mass evacuations. Such a swift surge hadn't happened in 40 years and the villagers were caught unprepared.
Meanwhile, fishermen are seeing their catches dwindle day by day. As hydropower dams upstream block the river's flow, fish find it hard to adjust to the river's changing ecology. Researchers reckon their seasonal migrations are being disturbed and disrupted by the dam projects.
Almost immediately, locals pointed the finger of blame at the dams in China. But the Thai government is not out of the loop of responsibility. With ample warning from experts and environmentalists, Bangkok can't really say it didn't see this coming. The question is what the government will now do about it.
Last May, the United Nations released a report stating that China's dam-building ambitions pose the greatest threat to the future of the already beleaguered Mekong, one of the world's major rivers and a key source of water, transport and food for the region.
Although the Mekong is widely regarded as a Southeast Asian river, its source is in the Himalayan glaciers high in Tibet. Nearly half of the 4,880-kilometre river flows through China's Yunnan province before it reaches the Southeast Asian nations of Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, where it empties into the South China Sea.
China is constructing a series of eight dams on the upper half of the Mekong, where the river passes through the high gorges of Yunnan. These include the recently completed Xiowan Dam which, at 292 metres high, is the world's tallest. Its storage capacity is equal to all of Southeast Asia's reservoirs combined, the UN report said. The dams are needed to meet China's rapacious energy demands.
Laos, meanwhile, has started construction on 23 dams on the Mekong and its tributaries, expected to be finished by 2010, the UN said. They will act as a means to spur development and lift the country from poverty. Cambodia and Vietnam also have ambitious dam-building plans.
The report also mentioned that the effects of the proposed dam developments include "changes in river flow volume and timing, water quality deterioration and loss of biodiversity".
In addition to the dam-building spree are more river-blasting schemes. The Chinese are going to blow up islets, boulders and other natural barriers in several locations to make the river accessible to 500-tonne cargo craft. The belief is that shipping cargo to trading posts downstream at Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong in Thailand will be more cost-efficient than using air and land routes. And the Chinese are determined to achieve that goal no matter what.
The Thai locals are unsympathetic, pointing to the damage to the river's ecology.
One research project shows that the river junction in the Golden Triangle used to boast 65 types of flora that formed the food source and habitat of river creatures. Locals say that Mekong giant catfish lay their eggs around the islets and boulders that have been earmarked for blasting. Another study found that the lower stretches of the Mekong were capable of yielding fish catches of 11.3 million tonnes per year, and the middle stretches 0.9-1.2 million tonnes, worth an overall Bt105 billion to the local economy.
There have already been attempts to blow up islets in the Chiang Rai Mekong. Somkiat Khuenchiangsa, coordinator for the Natural Resources and Mekong Lanna Culture Conservation Network, says that China targeted Pha Dai in Chiang Rai, a scenic spot popular with tourists. Following villagers' protests, the river there was spared.
That stretch is a habitat for several species of fish. But Chinese engineers consider the islets obstacles to their mega projects.
Somkiat says that Thailand and China shook hands on an agreement to remove the Mekong islets in that area, but local villagers were never consulted.
For now, the Mekong's ordinary folk are finding it hard to make their voices heard, and their way of life is, it seems, steadily being destroyed. Fishermen are leaving their villages to labour in fruit orchards and farms. But the silent cry from the riverbank remains: Stop hurting the Mekong, its plants, creatures and people.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
REPLENISHING OUR LAKES AND RIVERS
Fish and other aquatic animals make up an important part of our diet. They thrive in all kinds of water - in bodies of fresh water like ponds, lakes, canals and rivers,and, of course, in the salt waters food primarily from sources in their natural habitat, these creatures are, for the most part, clean and safe to eat, and their food value is high. Over the millennia, people have learned to recognise the species that can be eaten, and the repertoire of dishes made from them here in Thailand may be the richest of all.
The bad news is, today the populations of seafood in the world's waters are declining by the day, depleted by overfishing. However, people have begun to realise that simply catching fish without seeking ways to replenish them, leaving immature fish to grow and reproduce and keeping only suitably large ones for food,will eventually exhaust seafood resources.The situation is deteriorating so quickly that if something is not done soon, it may well be too late to turn the tide.
It is the duty of those who supervise fishermen, and of the fishermen themselves,to share an understanding of this problem.When one community achieves this goal,its success can serve as a model to others,so that in the future the sea life will replenish itself, the incomes of fishermen will increase, and there will be plenty of seafood for everyone.
A viable project of this kind was once launched in Kang Krachan, a large reservoir in Phetchaburi. It made use of large, floating baskets, called krachang , that are used to keep fish alive. There were many villages located around the rim of the reservoir,with most households relying on fishing to make a living.
At one time, the water had been full of fish, but because the local people had fished the reservoir so heavily, using modern equipment, the fish were unable to regenerate themselves and, regardless of size,almost disappeared. Then, a couple of years ago, that programme was initiated. The Department of Fisheries gave many kinds of fish fry to the villagers to raise in floating baskets in front of their homes. The recipients would be responsible for feeding the fish until they matured, then overturn the baskets to release the fish so that they could find their own food thereafter.
Fish from all of the villages spread through the reservoir, and soon there were the beginnings of a healthy fish population.The fishermen then began catching them for sale, but with nets that had holes of a specified size so that only the large fish were retained. The project was a success.Even though the fishermen's catches were not big, the fish they did bring in were large and fetched good prices.
One important advantage was that the fishermen spent much less time fishing. It was no longer necessary to chase the fish round the clock. As a result, this project has been imitated in many other reservoirs and lakes.
There is a similar conservation project that has only recently been implemented,but it is already showing signs of success.It was launched in the Bang Taboon River in Yisan sub-district in Samut Prakan province. The Bang Taboon is a salty river located only six or seven kilometres from Bang Taboon Bay. Many different kinds of fish live there, including snapper, ocean catfish, local pla kulao (a type of haddock),river prawns, and shrimp.
Some time back, many local people there went broke after digging ponds to raise river prawns. The initial investment was high, and the food and medicines needed to protect the prawns from disease were expensive. Already a risky operation at all times, the financial viability of the venture was aggravated by a decline in the market price of the prawns.
As a result, the farmers decided to change to a natural system of breeding the prawns.When the tide rose, they allowed seawater to flow into the ponds through pipes. Small fish, crabs and shrimp entered with it, and the farmers allowed these creatures to form a natural environment in which to grow,with some animals feeding on others. The farmers were more interested in shrimp and prawns than in other kinds of creatures.
A certain amount of maintenance was required. Fish that was of no commercial value had to be removed, and farmers had to monitor the ponds to make sure that there was enough natural food. In addition,a relatively long period of time would have to pass before prawns could be caught and sold.
The Department of Fisheries then came up with a supplement to the project. The villagers should look for small, unused ponds that could be used as sources of food. Baby river prawns and white shrimp could then be released in them, and fed on dead fish for about two months until they matured and were big enough to fend for themselves in the river. After that, these ponds would be opened up to allow the water to flow into the sea, thus releasing the shrimp at the same time. There was no guarantee that this plan would work, but it turned out to be a success.
Chuan Khamwong and his wife Preeya are farmers who were using the natural method of raising prawns, and they were the first persons to volunteer a smaller pond for use in this new addition to the project. Mr Chuan explained that he started the activity, in cooperation with the Department of Fisheries, in October of last year. He began by preparing a small pond with vegetable fertiliser and other nutrients,all of which were spread over the mulch at the bottom. Worms soon appeared in the mixture - and they were excellent food for the prawns.
When the baby shrimp and prawns were released into the pond in October, Mr Chuan checked their sizes regularly. He found that they grew very fast, and were strong and healthy. After two months, he set the young prawns free in the river.Then he raised another batch, which was also released into the river after two months.
Now local prawn fishermen are catching more prawns, but with the understanding that small ones will be thrown back. After less than a year, their incomes have increased, and have remained steady. Needless to say, the locals are pleased.
Many other villages are now following their example. Mr Chuan and his wife said that before long the river will be full of prawns and shrimp, but that for now the sizes of the ones that can be caught must be regulated.
They also said that they have enjoyed other advantages because of the project.When they let the river water flow into their ponds, more prawns, fish and other animals go in with it. The success of the project is an inspiring example of cooperative work that has worked for the benefit of an entire community and laid a stable foundation for their future.
These are some of the proven ways in which the food we obtain from our seas,lakes and rivers, the quantities of which are being increasingly threatened, can be restored. But to achieve long-term,sustainable success, our never-ending task requires the dedication and cooperation of many people in many places, just like those that have brought such happy results in these villages.
The bad news is, today the populations of seafood in the world's waters are declining by the day, depleted by overfishing. However, people have begun to realise that simply catching fish without seeking ways to replenish them, leaving immature fish to grow and reproduce and keeping only suitably large ones for food,will eventually exhaust seafood resources.The situation is deteriorating so quickly that if something is not done soon, it may well be too late to turn the tide.
It is the duty of those who supervise fishermen, and of the fishermen themselves,to share an understanding of this problem.When one community achieves this goal,its success can serve as a model to others,so that in the future the sea life will replenish itself, the incomes of fishermen will increase, and there will be plenty of seafood for everyone.
A viable project of this kind was once launched in Kang Krachan, a large reservoir in Phetchaburi. It made use of large, floating baskets, called krachang , that are used to keep fish alive. There were many villages located around the rim of the reservoir,with most households relying on fishing to make a living.
At one time, the water had been full of fish, but because the local people had fished the reservoir so heavily, using modern equipment, the fish were unable to regenerate themselves and, regardless of size,almost disappeared. Then, a couple of years ago, that programme was initiated. The Department of Fisheries gave many kinds of fish fry to the villagers to raise in floating baskets in front of their homes. The recipients would be responsible for feeding the fish until they matured, then overturn the baskets to release the fish so that they could find their own food thereafter.
Fish from all of the villages spread through the reservoir, and soon there were the beginnings of a healthy fish population.The fishermen then began catching them for sale, but with nets that had holes of a specified size so that only the large fish were retained. The project was a success.Even though the fishermen's catches were not big, the fish they did bring in were large and fetched good prices.
One important advantage was that the fishermen spent much less time fishing. It was no longer necessary to chase the fish round the clock. As a result, this project has been imitated in many other reservoirs and lakes.
There is a similar conservation project that has only recently been implemented,but it is already showing signs of success.It was launched in the Bang Taboon River in Yisan sub-district in Samut Prakan province. The Bang Taboon is a salty river located only six or seven kilometres from Bang Taboon Bay. Many different kinds of fish live there, including snapper, ocean catfish, local pla kulao (a type of haddock),river prawns, and shrimp.
Some time back, many local people there went broke after digging ponds to raise river prawns. The initial investment was high, and the food and medicines needed to protect the prawns from disease were expensive. Already a risky operation at all times, the financial viability of the venture was aggravated by a decline in the market price of the prawns.
As a result, the farmers decided to change to a natural system of breeding the prawns.When the tide rose, they allowed seawater to flow into the ponds through pipes. Small fish, crabs and shrimp entered with it, and the farmers allowed these creatures to form a natural environment in which to grow,with some animals feeding on others. The farmers were more interested in shrimp and prawns than in other kinds of creatures.
A certain amount of maintenance was required. Fish that was of no commercial value had to be removed, and farmers had to monitor the ponds to make sure that there was enough natural food. In addition,a relatively long period of time would have to pass before prawns could be caught and sold.
The Department of Fisheries then came up with a supplement to the project. The villagers should look for small, unused ponds that could be used as sources of food. Baby river prawns and white shrimp could then be released in them, and fed on dead fish for about two months until they matured and were big enough to fend for themselves in the river. After that, these ponds would be opened up to allow the water to flow into the sea, thus releasing the shrimp at the same time. There was no guarantee that this plan would work, but it turned out to be a success.
Chuan Khamwong and his wife Preeya are farmers who were using the natural method of raising prawns, and they were the first persons to volunteer a smaller pond for use in this new addition to the project. Mr Chuan explained that he started the activity, in cooperation with the Department of Fisheries, in October of last year. He began by preparing a small pond with vegetable fertiliser and other nutrients,all of which were spread over the mulch at the bottom. Worms soon appeared in the mixture - and they were excellent food for the prawns.
When the baby shrimp and prawns were released into the pond in October, Mr Chuan checked their sizes regularly. He found that they grew very fast, and were strong and healthy. After two months, he set the young prawns free in the river.Then he raised another batch, which was also released into the river after two months.
Now local prawn fishermen are catching more prawns, but with the understanding that small ones will be thrown back. After less than a year, their incomes have increased, and have remained steady. Needless to say, the locals are pleased.
Many other villages are now following their example. Mr Chuan and his wife said that before long the river will be full of prawns and shrimp, but that for now the sizes of the ones that can be caught must be regulated.
They also said that they have enjoyed other advantages because of the project.When they let the river water flow into their ponds, more prawns, fish and other animals go in with it. The success of the project is an inspiring example of cooperative work that has worked for the benefit of an entire community and laid a stable foundation for their future.
These are some of the proven ways in which the food we obtain from our seas,lakes and rivers, the quantities of which are being increasingly threatened, can be restored. But to achieve long-term,sustainable success, our never-ending task requires the dedication and cooperation of many people in many places, just like those that have brought such happy results in these villages.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Plans could redefine fishing industry
Vincenzo Russo, a fisherman here for 35 years, used to fish as many days as he wanted, but federal regulations now require him to secure expensive permits - up to $500,000(17 million baht)- if he wants to fish more than 73 days a year.
To protect declining stocks, the government has been increasing efforts to restrict the number of groundfish species such as cod, haddock and flounder found at the bottom of the sea that can be caught per day and narrowing the number of days New England fishermen can be out.
"The 1970s were the good old days when I could spend 220 days fishing,"Russo grumbled."Now I have to pay over half a million dollars just to be allowed to fish like I used to."
After more than a decade of growing tensions with federal regulators, fishermen here and throughout New England are pushing for a new system based on group quotas that would avoid these individual restrictions.
The system calls for fishermen to band together in groups called sectors that would receive the right to take a set percentage of the annual catch of a variety of fish. Two sectors have been operating in Cape Cod on an experimental basis,and in April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which regulates ocean fishing, announced that it would provide about $16 million (544 million baht) to move the rest of the Northeast toward sector fishing.
New England has submitted requests for 19 sectors, and the system could be up and running for the 2010 season,which begins next May.
"The era of lawless rule-breaking and a Wild West mentality has put us between the rock and the hard place we are in today," said Eric Brazer, who manages the Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector,one of the two Cape Cod sectors."As a result of that period, there are less fish and more regulations."
Sector fishing has been applied in the mid-Atlantic, Alaska, British Columbia and Iceland, but New England has been late to catch on.
Nationally, 12 other fisheries communities that harvest similar species - have some kind of sector or similar "catch share" system that allows them to avoid limits on trips and days at sea,said Steve Murawski, director of scientific programs at the NOAA Fisheries Service.These include the halibut fishery in Alaska and the surf clam fishery in the midAtlantic. Five additional fisheries are looking to adopt a similar model, Murawski said.
Cape Cod's results are evidence that sectors have tremendous promise, Brazer said. The fishermen in one sector were able to keep half a million dollars' worth of codfish that they would have had to throw back if they were fishing alone and subject to catch-per-day rules, he said. In the second sector,50 percent of hooked fish would have had to be thrown back, he said.
"A fisherman spending 100 days at sea, with all the costs associated with that, can go out and catch the same amount of fish in 30 days under a sector,"said Peter Taylor, president of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association."Sectors don't waste fish and put more money in the pockets of fishermen."
Cape Cod's sector fishermen pay $5,000 to $10,000(170,000 to 340,000 baht) annually for membership and management costs, including technologies for monitoring and reporting how many fish are caught.
The Northeast Seafood Coalition, an organisation based in Gloucester that represents fishing businesses from Maine to New York, has submitted 13 of the 19 requests for New England sectors. The other requests come from Cape Cod,Martha's Vineyard and Maine. Eligible fishermen representing over half the fishing permits in the Northeast have applied to join the sectors, according to Vito Giacalone, policy director of the coalition.
Still unsettled is whether fishermen can select their sector mates. The more experience a sector's fishermen have,veterans argue, the higher the group quota should be. The coalition would prefer that a sector accommodate all levels of fishing experience.
Richard Burgess, a comercial fisherman here for several decades, is uneasy about the idea of sectors and worries that federal regulators will establish smaller quotas for his group if it contains neophyte fishermen.
"We just don't know enough about how sectors will be organised to say for sure whether they'll be good for us,"Burgess said."I'm scared to death of sectors."
As a result of tighter days-at-sea rules,revenues from groundfish fell more than 50 percent in New England from 1994 to 2007, and the number of active boats also declined by about half, said Peter Baker, who manages fisheries policy for the Pew Environment Group.
In 2005, cod, which had been steadily declining, reached its lowest level, at 7 percent of the amount of stock needed to produce a sustainable harvest, and though it has recovered somewhat, it is still at only 12 percent, according to the NOAA Fisheries Service.
"Not having cod in Gloucester is a huge psychological blow, not to mention an economic one," said Mark Kurlansky,author of the bestselling book Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World ."It was the heart of fishing in New England from the 1600s until the 1980s."
The NOAA Fisheries Service says progress has been made as a result of regulations, with groundfish increasing by 77 percent since 2004 and the average fishing rate decreasing. Still, winter flounder is at only 10 percent of its ideal population. Haddock and redfish have recovered well.
Russo has not yet decided whether he will join a sector. He sold one of his boats and took out a loan to buy permits for more fishing days - what he thought was a wise investment in his future, one that would allow him to retain his crew of five and support his family. Now he wants to be sure that the permits he already bought would still entitle him to extra fishing within the sector. But he will not learn the answer until September,when specific proposals for the region are approved by the federal regulators.
Russell Sherman,61, a lifelong fisherman here, says he is supporting the new system.
To protect declining stocks, the government has been increasing efforts to restrict the number of groundfish species such as cod, haddock and flounder found at the bottom of the sea that can be caught per day and narrowing the number of days New England fishermen can be out.
"The 1970s were the good old days when I could spend 220 days fishing,"Russo grumbled."Now I have to pay over half a million dollars just to be allowed to fish like I used to."
After more than a decade of growing tensions with federal regulators, fishermen here and throughout New England are pushing for a new system based on group quotas that would avoid these individual restrictions.
The system calls for fishermen to band together in groups called sectors that would receive the right to take a set percentage of the annual catch of a variety of fish. Two sectors have been operating in Cape Cod on an experimental basis,and in April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which regulates ocean fishing, announced that it would provide about $16 million (544 million baht) to move the rest of the Northeast toward sector fishing.
New England has submitted requests for 19 sectors, and the system could be up and running for the 2010 season,which begins next May.
"The era of lawless rule-breaking and a Wild West mentality has put us between the rock and the hard place we are in today," said Eric Brazer, who manages the Georges Bank Cod Fixed Gear Sector,one of the two Cape Cod sectors."As a result of that period, there are less fish and more regulations."
Sector fishing has been applied in the mid-Atlantic, Alaska, British Columbia and Iceland, but New England has been late to catch on.
Nationally, 12 other fisheries communities that harvest similar species - have some kind of sector or similar "catch share" system that allows them to avoid limits on trips and days at sea,said Steve Murawski, director of scientific programs at the NOAA Fisheries Service.These include the halibut fishery in Alaska and the surf clam fishery in the midAtlantic. Five additional fisheries are looking to adopt a similar model, Murawski said.
Cape Cod's results are evidence that sectors have tremendous promise, Brazer said. The fishermen in one sector were able to keep half a million dollars' worth of codfish that they would have had to throw back if they were fishing alone and subject to catch-per-day rules, he said. In the second sector,50 percent of hooked fish would have had to be thrown back, he said.
"A fisherman spending 100 days at sea, with all the costs associated with that, can go out and catch the same amount of fish in 30 days under a sector,"said Peter Taylor, president of the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association."Sectors don't waste fish and put more money in the pockets of fishermen."
Cape Cod's sector fishermen pay $5,000 to $10,000(170,000 to 340,000 baht) annually for membership and management costs, including technologies for monitoring and reporting how many fish are caught.
The Northeast Seafood Coalition, an organisation based in Gloucester that represents fishing businesses from Maine to New York, has submitted 13 of the 19 requests for New England sectors. The other requests come from Cape Cod,Martha's Vineyard and Maine. Eligible fishermen representing over half the fishing permits in the Northeast have applied to join the sectors, according to Vito Giacalone, policy director of the coalition.
Still unsettled is whether fishermen can select their sector mates. The more experience a sector's fishermen have,veterans argue, the higher the group quota should be. The coalition would prefer that a sector accommodate all levels of fishing experience.
Richard Burgess, a comercial fisherman here for several decades, is uneasy about the idea of sectors and worries that federal regulators will establish smaller quotas for his group if it contains neophyte fishermen.
"We just don't know enough about how sectors will be organised to say for sure whether they'll be good for us,"Burgess said."I'm scared to death of sectors."
As a result of tighter days-at-sea rules,revenues from groundfish fell more than 50 percent in New England from 1994 to 2007, and the number of active boats also declined by about half, said Peter Baker, who manages fisheries policy for the Pew Environment Group.
In 2005, cod, which had been steadily declining, reached its lowest level, at 7 percent of the amount of stock needed to produce a sustainable harvest, and though it has recovered somewhat, it is still at only 12 percent, according to the NOAA Fisheries Service.
"Not having cod in Gloucester is a huge psychological blow, not to mention an economic one," said Mark Kurlansky,author of the bestselling book Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World ."It was the heart of fishing in New England from the 1600s until the 1980s."
The NOAA Fisheries Service says progress has been made as a result of regulations, with groundfish increasing by 77 percent since 2004 and the average fishing rate decreasing. Still, winter flounder is at only 10 percent of its ideal population. Haddock and redfish have recovered well.
Russo has not yet decided whether he will join a sector. He sold one of his boats and took out a loan to buy permits for more fishing days - what he thought was a wise investment in his future, one that would allow him to retain his crew of five and support his family. Now he wants to be sure that the permits he already bought would still entitle him to extra fishing within the sector. But he will not learn the answer until September,when specific proposals for the region are approved by the federal regulators.
Russell Sherman,61, a lifelong fisherman here, says he is supporting the new system.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)