Officials inspect Kata Beach after parrotfish shooting by Chinese tourists
Officials inspect Kata Beach after parrotfish shooting by Chinese tourists — confirmed details at this stage for Phuket readers.
Marine and Coastal Resources officials inspected Kata Beach in Phuket on May 11 after social media posts showed Chinese tourists spearfishing parrotfish, an act banned under environmental protection rules. The department said the case is under investigation and warned that violations carry criminal penalties including jail and fines.
Patrols, warnings and penalties ordered after beach incident
Officials said the incident was traced to 6:30pm on May 10, when more than 20 officers from the Marine and Coastal Resources Office 10, Phuket Marine Police, Tourist Police, Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, and Karon Municipality checked the rocky headland at the southern end of Kata Beach.
Preliminary findings identified the offenders as a group of Chinese tourists whose identities are still being established. Authorities said they dived near the rocks, shot a parrotfish measuring no more than 50 centimetres, and brought it onto the beach.
The department said the act violated Clause 10(7) of the 2024 Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment notification on protected areas and environmental measures in Phuket. The offence is punishable under Section 100 of the 1992 Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both.
Karon Municipality and other agencies are installing warning signs and legal notices along the beachfront. Municipal officers and police have also been assigned to continue patrols in risk areas, while reports of parrotfish capture or possession can be made to the 24-hour forest protection hotline at 1362.
Source: https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/news-update/1233373
