The environmentally minded riders
park their bicycles and board vessels that will take them out to sea to sink 20
fish traps, made from bamboo sticks and coconut stalk, to be fish homes, along
with 500 seaweed balls.
Patcharapol Panrak & Phasakorn Channgam
More than 200 bicyclists pedaled to Thailand’s south to campaign for Thai marine
conservation.
At least 20 organizations participated in the 617-kilometer Chonburi-Chumphon
trek co-sponsored by the Earth Safe Foundation and Central Pattana Co. Riders
left Sattahip’s Air and Coastal Defense Command Oct. 4.
Vice Adm. Rungsak Saereesawat started the week-long trek at the Sufficiency
Economy Bicycle Center on the Royal Thai Navy base. Riders then pedaled through
Pattaya, stopping at Central Festival Pattaya Beach to participate in two
activities: “Campaign to Restore the Basins and Thai Seas” and “Food Stability,
Restoration of Land, Water, Forest and Conservation of Plants Breeds.”
They next stopped in Banglamung for a “Thai Seas Restoration, Returning Habitats
to Sea Animals” event. They then boarded a bus to Banglamung Fishing Pier to
sink 20 fish traps, made from bamboo sticks and coconut stalk, to be fish homes,
along with 500 seaweed balls.
The “Bicycle to Preserve Thai Seas” project was organized to campaign for
restoration of Thai seas, and increase food sustainability through installation
of 1,000 fish traps as habitats and 1,000 seaweed balls.
Dr. Wiwat Salyakamthorn, president of the Sufficiency Economy Institute, said
the Yatra bicycle club had organized activities for communities from the Nan
headwaters flowing down to Chonburi and ending at Chumphon to bring awareness of
the need to reduce chemical usage, systematic discarding of waste, sustainable
consumption.
The main goal of the project is for locals at the headwater to build 840 dams,
build and maintain 840 rai of forests following the 84 “Khok Nong Na” models,
according to the royal teachings in “Lum Khanomkrok,” which encourages the
digging of many lagoons to store water during droughts and to delay the runoff
of rainwater to prevent floods. As for the end of waterways, the networks are
urged to clean garbage, build fish nurseries and plant mangrove forest.
Cyclists cross the Naklua Bridge
into Banglamung on their way south.
