2 Phuket restaurants busted with protected marine life

In Phuket, two floating restaurants have been busted possessing protected marine life in violation of environmental laws. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) inspected floating restaurants in Phuket on Friday to check whether they had protected marine life and found a stash. Social media posts shared the findings online.

The DMCR inspection found that both restaurants had ornamental fish that are illegal to catch or possess. One of the unnamed floating restaurants had 11 captured butterflyfish, lionfish, orange-lined triggerfish, and moray eels. The other venue was found in possession of four lionfish, dog-faced puffers, and Moorish idols.

The owners of the two restaurants were not named, nor were the restaurants themselves, but they were taken to Karon Police Station for legal…