12th September 2019 - Department of Fisheries, Charoen Pokphand Group, Charoen Pokphand Foundation, and True Corporation Public Company Limited held a ceremony to “plant artificial coral reefs under the cooperation for sustainable collective sea resource conservation and coastal fishery.” Mr. Wichan Ingsrisawang, Deputy Director of Department of Fisheries, Rear Admiral Bhumibhan Nilkumhang, representative of the Second Naval Area of the Royal Thai Navy, Mr. Thanawut Kuljitichanok, Songkhla province governor delegate, Mr. Rewat Kongpradit, Narathiwat province governor delegate, Mr. Supachai Jearawanon, Chairman of the executive committee of Charoen Pokphand Group and local civil society groups planted 1,000 artificial coral reefs in the communities of Ranod district, Songkhla province and in Mueng district, Narathiwat province. The aim was to restore the Thai sea ecosystem and enhance its fertility. Artificial coral reefs will create habitation, shelter and breeding areas for marine animals, helping to increase their number and allow fishmongers to utilize them in a sustainable manner. The ceremony also featured a seminar under the topic “the cooperation to conserve sea resources and restore sustainable coastal fishery.” The event was jointly supported by Mr. Wichan Ingsrisawang, Deputy Director of Department of Fisheries, Mr. Bunjong Nasae, Consultant of the Thai Sea Conservation Association, Mr. Sulaiman Karao, President of the local fishery club of Panarae district, Pattani province and Associate Professor Roengchai Tunsakul, an expert in agricultural science and natural resources. Together with representatives of Charoen Pokphand Group, Dr. Athip Aswanan, Executive of the Office of Sustainability and Governance of Charoen Pokphand Group, Mr. Sutee Samuttarapraput, Assistant Managing Director of Social and Environmental Administration and Promotion, Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited andMr. Banyat Kumnoonwat, Assistant Managing Director, C.P. ALL Public Company Limited. The event was held in Thaksin Forest Park, Ranod district, Songkhla province.

Wichan Ingsrisawang, Deputy Director of Department of Fisheries, revealed that the placement of artificial coral reefs is the second step of the progress following the signing of the cooperation for sustainable collective sea resource conservation and coastal fishery in the coastal area of the eastern Thai Gulf and that of the Andaman Sea between Department of Fisheries, Charoen Pokphand Group, Charoen Pokphand Foundation and True Corporation Public Company Limited. The objective of the project is to a sustainable conservation and restoration of sea resources. Department of Fisheries has bestowed artificial coral reefs to the governors of Songkhla province and Narathiwat province. The 1,000 artificial coral reefs will subsequently be given to coastal communities in Ranod district, Songkhla, and Mueng district, Narathiwat.

“The situation of sea deterioration has resulted in a dramatic decrease in marine life in Thai sea. Some species are on the verge of extinction, which affects the occupations of the fishmongers, causing insufficient income for family support. Therefore, the Department of Fisheries has initiated a project to restore coastal resources by making artificial coral reef continuously. The project commenced in 1978 and has since received impressive cooperation from all relevant parties, especially the private sectors. Coral reefs serve as the habitat, growing place, nesting area and shelter for marine animals. They help prevent resource-damaging fishery and increase sea fertility. At the same time, the reefs improve local and commercial fishery for the better well-being of the fishmongers. Now, it can be said that the Thai sea is a lot more fertile thanks to the placement of artificial coral reefs,” said Deputy Director of Department of Fisheries.

Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont, CEO of Charoen Pokphand Group, stated that Thailand’s crises and problems in the sea has impacted communities, society and the environment. Charoen Pokphand Group, as a private sector company operating within the agro-industrial and food industry with links to the Thai sea, stresses the importance of participating in the sustainable conservation and restoration of marine resources along the coastal areas of the eastern Thai Gulf and Andaman Sea. C.P. Group, through the “SEACOYSTEM: For Sustainable Thai Sea”, seeks to conserve and restore Thai seas by:1. The sustainable business development policy throughout the supply chain (SD in Process), upholding concerns for the society and the environment, promoting transparency and participation by stakeholders, such as the policies to purchase fishmeal that must meet the standard and be accepted by all sectors, collectively driving sustainable sea food supply chain (Seafood Taskforce) and using sustainable packaging methods to efficiently dispose of waste and plastic garbage. 2. To enhance community development,such as developing sustainable well-being through social businesses and strengthening communities. 3. To create marine life habitat, such as the mangrove forest project, the artificial coral reef project, the fish habitat project, and the boundaries and rules for the community’s resource conservation. 4. Marine animal breeding, such as the marine life bank project 5. Research and development, Charoen Pokphand Group has been supporting country-wide sea resource development through cooperative research by all sectors, such as the research on mackerel resource administration research and sustainable fishery development research. Most recently, Charoen Pokphand Group joined hands with the Department of Fisheries to plant 1,000 artificial coral reefs as part of the second phase in the coastal communities of Ranod district, Songkhla province, and Mueng district, Narathiwat province in order to restore the sea’s ecosystem and enhance its fertility, generating income for community members and improve their quality of life, which is another development progress to bring about sustainability to Thai seas by Charoen Pokphand Group.

In this regard, Charoen Pokphand Group has collaborated with Prince of Songkhla University to conduct follow-up research for the coral reef placement project under the cooperation with Department of Fisheries as part of the project to promote sustainable sea resource conservation and restore coastal fishery in the coastal area in the east of the Thai Gulf and the Andaman Sea. It is found that in Satingpra district, Songkhla province, in the first phase area of the project, planting artificial coral reefs yields no negative impacts on the chemical and physical aspects of the sea. It is found that the sea in the project area has seen more biodiversity. Survey reveals up to 35 types of fish, 22 of which are economical species, allowing coastal fishery communities in the area improved fishing opportunities.

“This year C.P. has cooperated with all relevant sectors to expand artificial coral reefs in the second phase by bestowing 1,000 artificial coral reefs to the community area in Ranod district, Songkhla province, and 500 to Mueng district, Narathiwat province. Both locations enjoy ecological readiness for artificial coral reef placement. Up to now, C.P. Group has planted a total of 2,000 artificial coral reefs in Thai sea, thus enabling coastal fishery communities to benefit from the sea in a sustainable manner for higher income and better quality of life.

In addition, C.P. affiliates, namely Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (C.P.F.), a major company in agro-industry and food and C.P. ALL Public Company Limited (C.P. ALL), the main company in marketing, distribution and sales, together with C.P. have put forward the conservation project. The parents’ company pushes forward the sustainable conservation of sea resources. Key projects include C.P.F. Grow, Share and Protect Mangrove Forest, which has undergone continuously since 2014. So far, 2,388 rai of mangrove forest in five provinces, namely Rayong, Samutsakorn, Chumporn, Songkhla and Pang-Nga, has been conserved. C.P. ALL has jointly contributed to the conservation and restoration of sea resources by conducting campaigns to call for a reduction in plastic bag usage on the Andaman and the Thai Gulf islands, including Lanta, Yao-Noi, Lipe, Tao, and Samed islands.

The Chief Executive Officer of C.P. Group remarked that C.P. Group is committed to push forward the “SEACOSYSTEM: For Sustainable Thai Sea” policy by working closely with its affiliates to utilize knowledge, expertise and experience along with building networks, a vital ingredient for the development of innovations and solutions to problems that could produce far-reaching impacts. The action corresponds to C.P. Group’s sustainability strategy, which aims to create sustainability for the business, society and environment based on the principle of gratitude toward the country, the society and the company in accordance with the Group’s ‘Three-Benefit Principle’.