Greenpeace
Image courtesy of Chris Allbritton
Greenpeace
The children of Tha Sala have the most to lose as traditions give way to development from the government and big industry. Here, a nephew of Manit Hankla plays in the rainwater in the family's humble compound. While too young to work on the boat, if the power plant is completed, it's unclear what his future will hold.
Muussin Hankla, 10, is the son of a leading fisherman in the town of Tha Sala in Nakhon Si Thammarat. His family relies on the wealth of the area's fishing grounds to survive, and are part of a long tradition of working the ocean. More than 60 percent of the local population relies on the sea's bounty, which generates an annual income of 300 million baht (US$9.755 million) and more than 5,000 related jobs. This fragile ecosystem and the local communities that depend on it, however, are now in danger from proposed coal-fired power plant projects supported by the government and big industry.
Manit Hankla becomes visibly upset as he discusses the challenges of a proposed coal-fired power plant in the area of Tha Sala in Nakhon Si Thammarat, which could devastate the sea-based industry here, the source in almost $10 million annually. Hankla is a leading fisherman in the area, with generations of tradition behind him. He says Islam commands him to care for the environment in the region, yet he feels powerless to stop the government and big industry's plans.
A young girl looks on hungrily in Tha Sala in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, on Sept 27, 2012. Rice, chicken and—most critically—seafood make up a large part of the diet of the people in the area, which is also called "Golden Bay" by local residents because of its maritime wealth.
Manit Hankla, his son Muussin and a nephew share a motorcycle ride on the way to the pier, where Manit's boat, named for his youngest son, is tied up.
Other fishermen have already been out all day, returning with their catches after a day on the water.
A local fishermen enjoys a Thai snack as he prepares to head out to sea. The mariners rely on the sea for their livelihoods, their traditions and their very existence.
Manit Hankla's job as captain is to find the prime fishing spots and maneuver the boat so that his sons and brother can lay out the massive nylon nets.
Panit, left, and Harit Hankla listen to the captain's instructions on where to lay out the nets for the best catch as they fish on the Gulf of Thailand.
Muussin helps prepare a nylon fishing net for deployment as his father maneuvers to just the right spot.
Harit (left), Panit and Muussin prepare to lay out one of the several massive nylon fishing nets used in their profession. They will spend at least a couple of hours just laying out a string of nets that will stretch for several kilometers in the Gulf of Thailand.
Panit, left, Muussin and Harit rest after two solid hours of laying out the heavy nets needed to harvest the sea's bounty. As they wait, they swap jokes, consume energy drinks and look out over the sea.
Night falls as Manit, considers where to pilot his boat next. Manit, as captain, is responsible for everyone on board, and his journeys often take them far out to sea in the pitch black night.
Muussin rests after a hard night's work. He doesn't go to school this year; his father pulled him out to work on the boat, which Muussin much prefers. He catches naps and relaxes in the afternoons before going out on the boat again.
The next day, on Sept 28, 2012, Manit and Romlha have sorted the fish after hours of work in the dark of night. Now they head to the village market to sell their wares.
Manit consents to an interview with Greenpeace's Cholticha Lermtong, as his wife manages the sales.
"Devote thyself single-mindedly to the Faith, and thus follow the nature designed by Allah, the nature according to which He has fashioned mankind. There is no altering the creation of Allah" — Surah 30:30. Perhaps because it developed in a resource-poor area, Islam has long held the natural world as something to be protected, and Manit's faith is a driving force in his opposition to the dirty development projects on tap.
A young girl in Tha Sala in Thailand's southern province of Nakhon Si Thammart rallies in support of a protected food area as part of a Greenpeace-supported "Fish for Life" march. The march, held on Sept 28, 2012, drew about 5,000 participants.
Students from local schools in Tha Sala in Thailand's southern province of Nakhon Si Thammart rally in support of a protected food area as part of a Greenpeace-supported "Fish for Life" march. The march, held on Sept 28, 2012, drew about 5,000 participants.
Here, Romlha gives a customer their change after a fish purchase.
