AT LEAST three
surfing locations at Phuket beaches are being shortlisted for recognition as
National Surfing Reserves (NSRs).
Brad Farmer, global chair of the non-profit organization
National Surfing Reserves (NSR), conducted a site insoection at Kata, Kalim and
Nai Yang Beaches on November 4.
“The surfing reserve concept is a symbolic dedication
whereby surfing areas are recognised as coastal resources worthy of
conservation; a reserve is essentially a badge of merit, a proactive
endorsement to recognise iconic natural locations around the world,” said Mr
Farmer.
In Australia, Mr Farmer’s home country, the NSR project has
gained much high-level support, including that of state premiers.
“Beaches are Thailand’s great income generators, so it
makes sense to recognise the special attributes off the coastal resources, such
as surfing areas,” he noted.
There are currently 14 NSRs in Australia, two in Hawaii and
several more under review in the region, including in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the
Philippines and China.
“The creation of surfing reserve in Thailand, the first in
Asia, is a golden opportunity for Thailand to show its forward thinking and
proactive effort toward conservation on the Andaman Coast,” said Steven Martin,
a coastal researcher with Prince of Songkla University’s Faculty of
Environmental Management.
“Thailand is being considered for this distinction not only
because of the existence of the natural resource, but because it is a safe and
accessible destination with a favourable climate of environmental awareness,
especially with tourism,” he explained.
Mr Martin added that surfing in Thailand is gaining in
popularity and surfers are inevitably custodians of the coastal environment.
“The surfing reserve program globally promotes stewardship
of the natural environment,including the reefs and aquatic life,” he said.
If anything good came out of the 2004 tsunami, it was the
rise in awareness of coastal resources and the support from the Thai
government alongside international organisations and NGOs
“It’s really an Honor that Brad has taken the initiative to
visit Phuket and consider surf sites, such as Kata, Kalim and Nai Yang Beaches,
for this internationally recognised distinction,” he added.
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