Sattahip Bike Riders Crusade for Conservation

October 5, 2012

More than 200 bicycle riders supported by 20 big organizations embarked on a week-long bike ride across several provinces to spread awareness of water and marine conservation. The Navy also got involved in the event, saying that ocean pollution from coastal communities has become a serious issue.

SATTAHIP – October 4, 2012 [PDN]; at 9:09 a.m., a contingent of 200 bicyclists embarked from Sattahip on an 804 km journey taking place from October 4-11 to call attention to protecting water resources from the mountains to the sea.

The event began in front of the Administrative Office of the Navy, Amphur Sattahip, Chonburi province, when the chairman of the event, Vice Admiral Roongsak Serisawat, Commission of Navy section 1, released the parade of volunteer bicyclists.

The more than 200 bicycles represented many networks in the community, led by Dr. Wiwat Sanyakhamthorn, the chairman of the self-sufficient economy institution and the chairman of the natural agriculture foundation. The other bike leaders were Mr. Jones Bandai and Mr. Suthiphong Thammavuth, who together spearheaded the project, “Riding Bicycles to Resolve the Crisis and Return Life to the Thai Sea,” by starting from the command unit at the sea shore nearby a navy project in the developing area of Nong Yai of the Royal, and riding though Choomporn province for a total distance of 804 km.

To create this opportunity, Rear Admiral Noppadol Suphakorn, the Commander of the command unit of maintaining the sea shore and monitoring the status of the project and area support, had brought the administrators and 300 government officers together with the Sattahip administrative office led by Mr. Pawat Lertmookda, Sattahip sheriff, as well as the leaders from 20 big organizations, to add support by cheering on the riders to arrive at their destination safely and operate the project successfully to achieve their objectives.

Dr. Wiwat Sanyakhamthorn, the chairman of the self sufficient economic institution, said that the parade of bicycles will be interacting with the community residents from Nan province to Chonburi province, and will end up at Choomporn province for their campaign to reduce the usage of chemical pollutants, adopt environmentally safe garbage disposal methods, and avoid wasteful consumption and preserve valuable breeds of plants, especially local plants that are being destroyed. The project’s purpose is to gather support for several conservation projects, starting at the beginning point of the water resources with streams in the mountains, and build 840 dams, and grow and maintain forest acreage of 840 rais to operate as 84 models of “mound, swamp, field” management conservation. For the ending point of the water resources which is the ocean, to support community networks to pick up garbage, build fish ponds and grow mangrove forests.

Vice Admiral Roonsak Serisawat, the Commander, Navy section 1, said the Navy is honored by the chance to join with the project because of pollution in the sea, especially in the Bay of Thailand, which faces serious problems from severe pollution that includes garbage, the release of polluted water from people’s homes and from industrial factories into rivers and canals that eventually flows toward and is released into the sea, which is the most important resource of life for human and aquatic animals.

Therefore the campaign to conserve water from the beginning point of water resources to its ending point, from the mountain to the sea, is an important issue that everyone should assist in together. The parade of bicycles will campaign to set up activities to use resources economically by adopting the philosophy of a self-sufficient economy and distribute information to the community to help spread awareness among local residents. Besides, the bicycle riders also will have opportunities to engage in discussions and ideas with the intelligence of local people in each province to spread knowledge of the issue among the communities.