With determined opposition by fishermen in the area, the second phase of the Chalong bay marina project is now firmly back in the dock. Complaints from local fishermen led to a ruling from Thailandดs National Human Rights Committee which deemed the construction in its planned form as detrimental to the environment and local livelihoods.

In January, Khun Wasan Panich, member of the National Human Rights Commission announced the ruling at a meeting in the Phuket Merlin Hotel. Locals had expressed their strong opposition to the plan, claiming that the planned underwater projects, to allow access to larger yachts and pave the way for breakwater construction would severely damage the area's marine life, on which their livelihoods depend.

Khun Wasan Panich went on to say that in the future, proposed projects would go through more stringent monitoring and opinions of the concerned locals would have to be taken into account before they were passed.

As the planned project could not be allowed to go ahead in the face of such sustained opposition, a reduced size marina with floating, rather then fixed breakwaters is now being planned, officials from the Marine Department said.

The Phuket Post spoke to the local fishermen in the Chalong bay area who welcomed the ruling announced by Khun Wasan Panich in January, and reiterated their stance that the planned marina would adversely affect their livelihoods.

“In fact, I don't want to see any more development in the Chalong area, because I don't want to to see the ecology damaged, and lose the present favourable environmental conditions in the sea,” one local representative told the Post. “This is an area that belongs to the community. I would like to see the marine environment at Chalong bay get more support and be conserved in the future.”

If any development will lead to the eventual destruction of the environment, the local ways and the community, then we do not want it,” said another. “If we have more development such as the proposed marina, we fear that the government will not be able to control the problems that will arise in the future.

“Chalong bay has survived the development that has taken place so far and still has a rich, diverse ecology. To change what we have now will alter it forever, with far-reaching consequences,” he warned, adding, “We currently have about 400-500 fishing boats around the bay, if we have a new pier, marine traffic will be obstructed, and it will be difficult for the fisherman to find mooring. And nobody can guarantee the local people will get jobs after any development. While wealthy developers can easily move to another spot once the area no longer offers them profits, the local people in that community do not have the means to move elsewhere, nor do they possess skills and knowledge for other jobs. They will be left to fend for themselves, with the only source of income they know taken away from them.”

The local fishermen were unanimous in their desire to see the government help rehabilitate the environment of Chalong bay, and undertake projects to educate the community on how to save their environment. “We should have laws that allow local communities to decide their own fates,” they said. “The environment should belong to the local people and not rich capitalists with no concern for our future.”