PUBLISHED : 9 Aug 2023 at 05:15
Phuket: At least three tonnes of oil from a slick suspected to have come from a ship, have been removed from Sirinan National Park and Koh Racha Yai after being washed ashore.
Pornsri Suthanaruk, deputy director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, on Tuesday met with maritime and coastal ecosystem experts, the director of Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre, Upper Andaman Sea branch, and Phuket deputy governor Amnuay Pinsuwan to discuss clean-up measures.
The spill is believed to have originated from neighbouring Phangnga province last Wednesday before reaching Koh Racha Yai in Phuket on Sunday.
Ms Pornsri said about two tonnes of oil have been collected at Sirinat National Park and one tonne at Koh Racha Yai in Phuket.
The environmental impact was also being assessed as the slick posed a threat to 4,000 rai of undersea coral extending from Phangnga to Phuket.
Ms Pornsri said officials were examining sea areas as well as marine creatures affected by the slick.
She added authorities were removing as much oil as they could and as quickly as possible to prevent it from seeping into the sand and creating a long-term hazard to shellfish.
The department revealed that four sea turtles had died as a result of the slick. Oil found in their stomachs suggested it had come from a tanker or cargo ship.
The department also warned tourists against swimming and venturing on contaminated beaches. They were asked to alert the authorities to any oil they come across.
To establish the slick’s source, the department has conducted a simulation of sea currents and wind speed over the past 10 days. The test results showed the spill might have occurred about 90 nautical miles east of Phuket.
Ms Pornsri said the Phuket provincial office had information that might prove useful in identifying the vessel responsible for the spill using ship movement data compiled by the Marine Department.