Phuket Vice Governor Prakob Wongmaneerung gave the order for the Damrongdhama Centre to cooperate with relevant organisations to investigate and solve the problem as soon as possible at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning (June 11).
The order came as local fishermen from Ban Layan filed a complaint at the Damrongdhama Centre calling for an investigation into the alleged encroachment, in Moo 6, Cherng Talay.
Also present to discuss the issue was Phuket Fisheries Chief Kowit Kao-ian.
Submitting the complaint was Somsak Promkaew, who heads the ban Phuket Fishermen’s network, supported by more than 20 local fishermen from Ban Layan.
“People have suffered from a businessman closing the entrance to the Ban Klong Layan boat moorings,” Mr Somsak explained.
“We call on the Phuket Governor to fix the problem because it fishermen can no longer use the entrance to access their moorings,” he added.
Local fishermen were previously allowed to use the path to cross the six rai of land now being claimed in order to access the Layan Canal,” Mr Somsak said.
The area in question is where the local fishermen keep more than 30 boats and their fishing equipment, he said.
“Closing off access has made it very difficult for us to access our boats so we can go fishing and it is now hard for us to unload our catch and transport it away,” he said.
Vice Governor Prakob officially received the complaint and promised to report the issue to Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong, and gave the order for the Damrongdhama Centre to investigate.