Font size: 
These and other issues were addressed during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the International Cultural and Educational Foundation and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources on Jan. 27 on the island of Koh Wai in Trat, Thailand , about 300 kilometers southeast of Bangkok and neighboring Cambodia to the east.
Mr. Michmen Charachinda, director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said there was an urgent need to "balance the ecology with tourism."
He noted the imbalance in Phuket, a popular tourist resort island in western Thailand, made more famous because of the December 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of the island. There the Thai population is just 300,000, while more than 3 million tourists -- ten times the local population -- live there or visit annually.
Charachinda said the area needed "eco-tourism" and praised the ICEF during the signing of the memorandum, saying the project was a first step for the protection and cultivation of marine life in Koh Wai.
Koh Wai is a resort island for tourists, like so many others throughout the Gulf of Thailand. But one thing here is different. On the sandy beaches there is a sea turtle farm and research center set up in collaboration with Rambhai Barni Rajabhat University in Chanthaburi and the Thai government's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The MOU calls for the support, research and monitoring of programs that manage coral reef ecological systems and sea turtle conservation for the benefit of humankind. It was signed by Charachinda and Dr. Christopher B.H. Kim, co-founder of ICEF.
Part of the signing ceremony saw the release of 25 turtles, 100 nemo fish, 1,000 clams and 1,000 abalone. The fish, clams and abalone would be caged for a time to protect them while they adapt to the environment and then released in a few weeks.
The Koh Wai project is small, but size is not the point. Mr. Somsak Yonokpan, vice-governor of Trat Province, who came for the release of the sea turtles, was excited about this "very important collaboration," emphasizing, "we need more projects like this."
The vice-governor was thrilled because he saw a model project that was replicable and scalable. The essence of this project was that "ICEF is working with the government to educate tourists." It was a win-win-win situation in which all three would benefit: the Thai government, the tourists, and the turtles.
Kim noted that Thailand was famous for tourism because of its "beautiful nature and kind people." However, he warned the international audience of 600, with representatives from 19 nations, that Thailand's beautiful environment was in danger because of one thing -- human ignorance. And the problem, he stressed, was too big for the government to handle alone. He called on everyone to "work together to love and restore nature to its original harmony, purity and beauty."
Mr. Worasit Rojanapanich, director-general of the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration, said he was eager to help sustain and develop projects like this. "Conservation and development need to be balanced," he said. "Cooperation with institutions in the private sector, like ICEF, is especially important."
The project presented an excellent learning opportunity for young people, according to Mr. Kyle Kim, executive director of ICEF. With the ocean as the classroom, he focused on the interaction of young people with nature as a chance to teach them environmental responsibility and develop their characters at the same time. "This is the first time we have signed an MOU with a university," he noted, "I'm very grateful to be part of this project."
At the end of the day-long activities, which include cultural programs and lunch, 25 sea turtles, each one and a half to two years old, were released into the ocean. Dr. Julia Kim, co-founder and president of ICEF, was on hand for the ceremony. With the heart of a mother seeing off her children on a long journey, she was the only one who actually kissed the back of the turtle before gently putting it on the sand to begin its passage to freedom.
But why release turtles at night?
According to Charachinda, the instinct of the turtles is linked to the moon, not the sun. In the wild, turtles mate after about 20 years. If the turtles are released during the daytime, they may not be able to find their way back to this beach to lay their eggs. It is common knowledge that the ocean tide is correlated to the lunar orbit, something turtles have known for millions of years.
Releasing turtles is more than an act of environmental friendliness; it is also a custom deeply rooted in the Thai culture. Buddhism teaches that the world is suffering, or "dukkha," and one way to release ourselves from our bad karma is by doing good deeds. Setting sea turtles or birds or other animals free is considered good karma. And every good deed you do, like the turtle, will come back to benefit you.
