“Fish in the shallow coastal areas have all but disappeared. I had no idea what to do, so I sought the advice of experts who suggested putting in artificial reefs. This was new knowledge to me, and I learned a lot from the local villagers in order to create artificial reefs as a habitat for marine life. I initiated the coastal rehabilitation project in Narathiwat Province in 2001. It was supported by various organizations, and became a truly worthwhile project because it helped to improve the livelihood of the poor people.”

Speech by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of King Rama IX, 11 August 2009, at Dusidalai Hall, Chitralada Villa.

To pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of the Ninth Reign and to promote awareness of Her Majesty’s royal initiatives on marine conservation on the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty’s 86th Birthday Anniversary on 12 August 2018, BCPG Public Company Limited (BCPG), will hold a press conference to announce the launch of the documentary film “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit” as well as a photo exhibition and documentary film “Breath of the Ocean” on 8 August at Quartier CineArt, 4th floor of The EmQuartier.

At this event, Mr. Bundit Sapianchai, President of BCPG, leader in the field of renewable energy in the Asia-Pacific region and a green organisation that gives priority to the environment, will introduce the documentary that will be broadcast on Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 and Nation TV Channel 22 on 12 August 2018.

The event also features a discussion on the topic “Breath of the Ocean” by Mr. Jatuporn Burusphat, Director General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources; Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, Deputy Dean of the Fisheries Faculty, Kasetsart University; Mr. Sivakrit Saravit, film producer and videographer; and Mr. Alex Rendall, actor and conservationist.

Mr. Bundit explained the rationale of the film documentary “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit”.

Rapid economic development and the exploitation of marine life to feed demands that far exceed the ability for natural replenishment, as well as continuous pollution of the sea, have contributed to the deterioration of the marine ecosystem. This has adversely affected the livelihoods of coastal fishermen. In 2001, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit gave her royal initiative to revive the livelihoods of the fishermen by rehabilitating the marine ecosystem. This was done by creating artificial reefs from various materials such as decommissioned navy ships, cargo ships, fishing boats, army tanks, train carriages, concrete blocks etc. These artificial reefs would provide a new habitat for marine life. This coastal rehabilitation project received support from various government and private organizations as well as local communities who came up with their own community reefs. This helped to restore the marine environment, and enabled fishermen to revert to their original lifestyle and occupations.

“BCPG generates power from renewable energy, that is to say power sources that are natural, thereby helping to reduce global warming. We are committed to reducing negative effects on the environment caused by our various businesses, and place great emphasis on environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources. That is the reason behind the production of this film documentary; we hope to stimulate an awareness of global warming, and the need for each individual to pitch in to protect our earth. When people think about global warming, they mostly think about planting trees. But BCPG would like to invite you to ‘plant trees in the sea’, or pay more attention to our rivers, seas and oceans. That’s because these water sources – whether rivers, seas or oceans – are not only a source of food for human beings, but also a source of oxygen through phytoplankton. They are integral to the ecosystem since they produce 70 percent of the oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere, while the remaining 30 percent is produced by plants. Phytoplankton are very similar to plants on land; they absorb carbon dioxide, and through photosynthesis, they produce oxygen. They can be found in both fresh water, sea water and brackish water. However, studies indicate that global warming has affected the ecosystem and the human way of life in many different ways, particularly in coastal communities. Such phenomena as red tides have had an effect on the quantity and quality of marine life, as well as the tourism industry. BCPG would therefore like to draw your attention to ‘Planting trees in the sea’ in addition to reforestation. This is an additional effort to the conservation of forests and other natural resources to which we are still committed.”

The film documentary “Breath of the Ocean” is a joint effort between BCPG, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, and the Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5. It comprises a tribute segment to Her Majesty the Queen titled “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit”, and a 9-part series on artificial reefs. The production is part of BCPG’s corporate social and environmental responsibility activities under the theme “Breath of the Waters” related to water resources conservation. Among these activities are the installation of solar panels as a power source for rangers and tourists at marine national parks, and joint coastal conservation activities with the government and private sectors. The “Breath of the Wild” theme serves to promote forest conservation through forest rehabilitation, reforestation, creating salt licks for wild animals, and wildlife educational activities. The “Breath of the Souls” theme is aimed at social and community development activities to help raise the quality of life, and include installing solar panels to provide power for organisations or schools in remote areas such as schools under the ICU project of the Office of the Basic Education Commission, growing vegetable crops under government solar panels, low carbon society activities, community projects such as education or school environment and infrastructure improvement in BCPG’s areas of operation, and the donation of solar panels and related equipment to various organisations for the purpose of education and other benefits. BCPG has also pledged to refrain from giving out New Year gifts, and instead donate the budget towards the welfare of forest and marine rangers.

The documentary “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit”, as well as the documentary and exhibition titled “Breath of the Ocean”, were created and produced by Mailak Team led by Mr. Sivakrit Saravit, documentary film producer who has produced several royal tribute documentaries as well as general documentaries in conjunction with the government and private sectors.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 8 to 13 August 2018 in the foyer of Quartier CineArt, 4th floor of The EmQuartier. The images will also be available for sale, with all proceeds to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen for her royal charities. The documentary film “Breath of the Ocean” can be viewed at www.bcpggroup.com. On 12 August 2018, the documentary film “Reefs of Life: Artificial Reef Project under the Royal Initiative of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit” will be broadcast on Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 after the evening news programme time slot and on Nation TV Channel 22 at 9 am. While a 9-part series on artificial reefs will be aired on Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel 5 every Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during 6.20-6.30 pm from 13 to 29 August 2018.