The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) confirmed its officers were informed of the incident at about 3pm yesterday (Feb 3), after divers alerted officials from the Racha Islands Protected Area Management Center that an oil boat had anchored within a protected marine zone.
Officials from the centre’s Protected Area Management and Prevention Division dispatched a diving team to inspect the site. The team found the vessel’s anchor and chain had scraped across coral formations on the seabed, breaking large sections of reef structure and damaging areas where coral restoration projects had been underway.
Photographs and other evidence of the damage were collected at the scene and a formal complaint has since been filed with police to pursue legal action against the vessel’s owner and all parties involved. The name of the vessel has not been released.
DMCR officials said anchoring on coral reefs is a clear violation of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act B.E. 2562 (2019), which classifies coral as protected wildlife. Any act that destroys, damages or disturbs coral reefs – whether natural or restored – is punishable under the law.
The department said strict enforcement measures will be applied in this case, stressing that coral reefs are a vital marine resource for the ecosystem and for Phuket’s tourism industry.
DMCR officers added that patrols and monitoring of marine protected areas around Koh Racha Yai and other popular dive sites would be intensified to prevent further damage to fragile reef systems.