A larger-than-normal fish
kill set off alarm bells in Jomtien Beach on Jan. 5, but was probably
due to changes in water conditions, such as increases in algae.
Teerarak Suthathiwong
A larger-than-normal fish kill set off alarm bells in Jomtien
Beach, where dead and stinking sea animals polluted a stretch of sand
near Soi 17.
Hundreds of tiny pony fish washed up on shore Jan. 5, leaving beach
vendors to clean up the mess. No cause for the fish kill was determined,
but the event was not unusual for the area, vendors said.
Roong Bunjit, 45, said waves of dead fish wash up on shore at the same
spot periodically, although this event was larger than most. He alleged
fishermen were responsible for the dead fish, which he believed were
caught up in nets with larger fish then discarded.
Most fishing nets, however, have holes large enough for tiny fish to
escape. Fish kills generally occur due to changes in water conditions,
such as increases in algae.
