ANDAMAN ISLANDS (15 Mar 2001) -- Poachers from Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka are plundering marine life in India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands and threatening marine habitats that have become popular dive destinations for Thailand based liveaboards. Local marine police look on helplessly because they have resources and no boats to patrol the region. The poachers operate in gangs fanning out in dozens of high-speed boats targeting sea cucumbers, turbo and trocho shells, turtles and crocodiles. | | The shells are sold to Europeans who use them to make high-priced buttons and cufflinks. But the big prize are crocodiles, which fetch over 8,000 dollars each. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
