BANGKOK, 14 August 2014 – The Fisheries Department has reported that its measure banning fishing activities for two months in parts of the Gulf of Thailand has yielded great benefit to fishermen, whose catch rate have increased significantly.
Department director-general Niwat Suthimichaikun spoke on Wednesday of the measure to ban fishing in a stretch of the Gulf that included the seas off Prachuap Khirikhan, Phetchaburi, Samut Songkhram, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Bangkok. The stretch was determined to be the major spawning site of numerous marine species.
The fisheries ban was in effect from June 1 to July 31. The two-month ban has already begun to pay off; fishermen are now making an average catch of 18 kilograms per hour, compared to the usual rate of 13 kilograms per hour before the ban took effect. Currently, around 10,000 mackerels are being caught per day. This compared very favorably to the 2,000 mackerels caught per day before the ‘closure’ of the Gulf. The size of the fish has also increased. According to Mr. Niwat, other marine catches have also increased in quantity and in size.
