Officers from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources have found parrotfish for sale at 3 restaurants in Karon, on Phuket’s west coast. In Thailand, parrotfish is an endangered species, protected by 3 separate legal articles from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The managers of Chic Restaurant, Bounty Seafood, and Ton Tan Seafood have all been arrested, according to a Phuket News report. Officers found 9 parrotfish at Chic Restaurant, 5 at Bounty Seafood, and 2 at Ton Tan Seafood. According to the report, the fish were less than 50cm long. All 3 managers have been taken to Karon Police Station and charged.
DMCR officers discovered the protected species at the restaurants during raids carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Officers from the Thai Muang Marine Fisheries Crime Prevention and Suppression Unit in Phang Nga also took part in the raids, as did officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources Crime Suppression Division.
PHOTO: Parrotfish/National Geographic
SOURCE: The Phuket News
