The sculpted blocks of artificial corals were installed yesterday (Feb 16) by a barge provided by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO).
Present for the occasion were a host of leading officials involved in the project, including PPAO President Rewat Areerob; Wattanapong Suksai, Director of the Phuket office of Natural Resources and Environment; Paitoon Panchaiyaphum, Director of the Phuket Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation and Restoration Division; and Suchart Rattanaraeungsi, Director of Phuket Marine Resources Conservation Center.
Also present were Kongsak Koophongsakorn, Vice President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, and Sasawat Limpanich, President of the Rotary Club of Mining for Phuket and fellow members.
Not mentioned in the official report of the event yesterday was the Rotary Club of Patong Beach, which was also involved in the fundraising efforts for the project, under the banner ‘Save Underwater World’.
PPAO President Rewat explained that the project aims to encourage the growth of natural coral larvae in the area as part of marine natural resources protection and development, which also helps to promote tourism to Phuket.
The PPAO funded B150,000 to cover the cost of installing the artificial reef blocks, he said.
In total, 30 blocks were installed in separate areas at the reef, he said.