SURAT THANI, 12 September 2014 – Blood cockles living in Bandon Bay in Surat Thani province have died off, causing losses worth around 500 million baht for shellfish farmers.
Surat Thani governor Chatpong Chatphut has gone down to a section of the bay covering 20,000 rai of land in Kanjanadit District. The Bandon Bay serves as a natural spawning ground for many aquatic creatures.
According to Fisheries officers in the province, the blood cockles may have died from a parasite living in the waters of the bay.
Mr. Chatpong, however, has instructed local authorities to inspect the quality of water following complaints from locals that a rubber glove production factory has been occasionally dumping wastewater into the bay.
