Videos show tourists with protected parrotfish, starfish at Phuket beach

Videos circulating online on May 11 showed Chinese tourists with protected parrotfish and a starfish at Kata Beach in Phuket, prompting calls for legal action over suspected harm to marine life. The footage, reported to have been filmed at Kata Beach in Karon subdistrict, Mueang district, showed a man holding several dead fish, including brightly coloured parrotfish, while women in the group posed with a starfish.

Footage sparks criticism over wildlife handling

A foreign tourist reported to be Russian was also seen joining the group to take photographs with the fish, according to accounts shared online.

The videos spread widely on Thai social media and drew criticism from environmental supporters and others questioning why no immediate enforcement action had been announced.

Several online comments accused officials of applying laws differently to Thai nationals and foreigners. One commenter also claimed to have seen parrotfish being sold at a fresh market in Phuket.

Protected status and possible penalties

Parrotfish are protected in Thailand because they graze on algae growing on coral, a role that helps maintain reef health and ecological balance.

Starfish are not listed as protected animals under Thai law, but removing them from the sea or handling them improperly can injure or kill them and damage marine ecosystems.

Under Thailand’s National Park Act, hunting marine life within national park areas can bring up to five years in prison, a fine of up to 500,000 baht, or both.

Police and relevant agencies had not publicly confirmed the identities of the people in the footage, and no arrests had been reported. The case follows a similar incident last year in Phuket involving a Chinese tourist filmed catching brightly coloured fish believed to be protected species, with no public update later released.

Source: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/chinese-tourists-condemned-for-hunting-protected-fish-in-phuket