BANGKOK, 2 August 2015 – The Department of Fisheries is set to hold a fishermen forum during 3-5 August 2015, in an attempt to solve the illegal fishing issue, says the department’s Director-General.
The Director-General of Department of Fisheries Joompol Sanguansin has revealed that the department will be organizing a workshop on the proper use of fishing equipment, according to each fishing zones, during 3-5 August 2015. The workshop on 5 August will take place in Krabi province and will be participated by fishermen from the provinces of Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Trang, and Satun.
He stated that using inappropriate fishing equipment that are too powerful will result in a decline of marine fisheries resources. These tools are being used increasingly and is disproportionate to the marine resources available in the entire 420,280 square kilometers of fishing areas in Thailand.
The unregulated fishing equipment has also resulted in an overlap of commercial and community fishing zones, increasing the competition in certain areas with a variety of equipment, thus causing conflict that should be resolved through clear operational guidelines.
Meanwhile, the Command Center for Combating Illegal Fishing (CCCIF) has assigned the Department of Fisheries to gather opinions from fishermen in various areas and submit the conclusion to the CCCIF within 7 August 2015.
