The fishery department has also initiated a water retreat project to improve the filtering and irrigation of the water in the shrimp ponds. Eighty -three countries have become signatories and 648 wetlands have already been listed in the Directory of Wetlands of International Importance. The three wetlands under consideration are all national parks which have been increasingly encroached on by illegal shrimp farmers seeking out new lands for production. This would help to focus the destruction on other areas that have not been designated as protected sites. Although the government has started discussing the issue of aquaculture pollution, and a variety of actions have been considered, it has been a slow process as there is little initiative and support with the profit potential of the shrimp market.
Chitin is a cellulose-like substance that has a variety of uses.
It can be made into surgical stitching thread that dissolves harmlessly in the flesh, used to separate heavy metals in water treatment plants, or sprayed onto fruit to prevent water treatment loss. The possibilities of this new product have caused increased investment in shrimp production, not only in Thailand but in the neighboring countries of Cambodia, Vietnam, and India. Major shrimp producers have continued to reap short-term profits and move to new areas when the land loses its vitality. The Ministry of Agriculture has plans to continue to issue licenses for shrimp farms even though it is widely recognized by Cambodian officials that stricter procedures are needed. LAW In Thailand shrimp farmers are now invading national park's wetlands for the production of shrimp.