Longtail Fishing Boat Repair Center & Pier Open
U.S. Ambassador, Bush-Clinton Tsunami Relief Fund Envoy, Thai Officials to Dedicate Project in Phang-nga Province
Saturday, January 19, 2008 Leading U.S. and Thai officials dedicated a new Longtail Fishing Boat Pier and Repair Center in Taplamu Village, Lam Kaen Tambol, Phang-nga Province today. The facility will improve the livelihoods of the fisher folk and help promote tourism in one of the areas hardest hit in Thailand by the 2004 tsunami.
U.S. Ambassador Eric G. John, Bush-Clinton Tsunami Relief Fund Envoy Mark Ward, Governor of Phang-nga Province Wichai Praisa-Ngob, and Kenan Institute Asia Executive Director Paul Wedel spoke to local residents at the pier. They participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and transferred the facility to the local fisher folk.
The Taplamu Village Longtail Fishing Boat Pier and Repair Center was built after former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton awarded US$264,000 (Bt10 million) for the facility’s construction after viewing the devastation caused by the tsunami. The Kenan Charitable Trust and other groups provided additional support.
The Thai-style pier has docking space for 60 longtail boats. Its repair center is equipped to fix boats and mend nets.The pier has tour-booking facilities, shops, and co-op offices for more than 100 families. The pier provides a permanent place for fishermen to moor and unload their catch.
The facility will be managed by a local cooperative and is expected to serve as a training site to address such issues as fish raising, sustainable catch limits, and micro-business practices. The facility fits with the Kenan Institute Asia’s and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s goals for sustainable economic recovery in the region.
"Here, in Taplamu, we see a tiny – but very important – effort coming to fruition," said U.S. Ambassador John, noting how the pier and repair center will benefit the area’s fishermen and support tourism.
Mark Ward, the USAID official who headed the agency’s response to the 2004 tsunami, read letters from former Presidents Bush and Clinton. "May this facility give you the tools you need to rise about the heartbreak and build a brighter future for yourselves, your families, and your community," wrote former President Clinton. "We were very honored to play a small role in the rebuilding of your community," former U.S. President George Bush stated in his letter. FURTHER READING
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