Chinese tourist arrested for feeding fish

[buksida]

Chinese tourist Hongzhi Zhou, 45, was arrested Thursday for feeding fish at Koh Kai.

This is the first time a tourist has been detained after emergency powers were granted to law enforcement officials by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 6 on Tuesday to protect marine life.

The measures, referred to as Article 17, grant additional powers to law enforcement officials, including the ability to arrest anybody thought to be interfering with marine life.

Zhou was released on Bt100,000 bail, which was paid by his tour guide. Zhou needs to remain in the country until his case is processed in court.

"We caught Zhou feeding fish on May 25 at about 3.30pm on Koh Kai Bok," DMCR spokesperson Suchat Rattanaruengsri said.

He added that this arrest should serve as a warning of new law enforcement procedures aimed at tackling the degradation of marine life around Koh Kai, Kai Nok and Kai Noi islands, all of which fall under the purview of the DMCR.

"I believe that if we continue this level of enforcement, tourists and tour operators will be deterred from interfering with marine life," Suchat said.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakin ... 86784.html

[PeteC]

Not a very clear story, is it? Was he simply throwing in crusts of bread or similar, or was he dumping in bags of fish chow? On the face of it he seems an innocent tourist and not worth all the hype they're making out of it. Pete

[buksida]

They should be arresting the idiots for standing on coral, and the locals for dumping trash in the ocean!

[dtaai-maai]

He added that this arrest should serve as a warning of new law enforcement procedures aimed at tackling the degradation of marine life around Koh Kai, Kai Nok and Kai Noi islands, all of which fall under the purview of the DMCR.

"I believe that if we continue this level of enforcement, tourists and tour operators will be deterred from interfering with marine life coming to Thailand," Suchat said.

[PeteC]

It was steamed corn:

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... section=14

[STEVE G]

They were lucky that he was feeding the fish and not eating it!

[Ginjaninja]

It was steamed corn:

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... section=14

I've done this before on various day-trips in Thailand. The corn was supplied by the tour company and the whole group partook. Surely the tour companies should be held accountable if this is wrong...

GN.

[malcolminthemiddle]

Signs asking people not to feed the fish are there for a purpose.

Lays crisps and steamed corn are not natural and disrupt natural feeding habits.

Feeding the fish causes swarming and can attract predators to shallow areas where people and children are playing in the sea.

[dtaai-maai]

Signs asking people not to feed the fish are there for a purpose.

Yes, but as Buksida pointed out, there are more serious problems that are not being addressed. By all means impose a fine, but arrest with bail of 100k THB and prevented from leaving the country until the trial? Seriously?

[europtimiste]

This was a tourist spot, I know this place and have pictures feeding fishes. Now it's not allowes... Assholes.

[Homer]

Perhaps the arrest and fine was for the publicity. That's one way to inform people. In Thailand, is such a move usually followed by quietly and quickly dropping charges? Hmmm... if it's 'quietly', how would we know?

[PeteC]

There was a story out yesterday about two Thai tourists picking up a starfish for a photo. Arrested and charged. However, it seems that the Philippines, Australia and all the Caribbean have starfish eradication programs going as the creatures eat and destroy coral. Da law is da law though I guess, don't want to complicate things. Pete

[HHTel]

You are talking about the 'crown of thorns' starfish which eat coral. You wouldn't want to pick one of those up as they are covered in spiny thorns. Other starfish are no danger to coral.

[hhfarang]

^ Here's the culprit in a photo I took in the Red Sea of a Crown of Thorns munching on coral... beautiful but destructive.

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