Thai Department of Fisheries will prohibit fishing in the Andaman Sea off Phuket, Phangnga, Krabi and Trang from April to June in order to allow marine animal populations to recover.
Deputy director-general Meesak Pakdeekong said the department will close 5,000 square kilometers of the Andaman Sea in these provinces from April 1 to June 30, which coincides with the marine breeding season. The closure will affect waters from Panwa Cape, Phuket’s Mueang district all the way to Yong Star Cape in Trang’s Palian district.
He said the seasonal moratorium on fishing has been enforced for several years in order to ensure the sustainability of fishing stocks.
The deputy director-general added that average catch sizes have also improved since the seasonal moratorium was imposed, with traditional fishermen reporting bigger shrimps and crabs in designated areas, and this was a pleasing development for conservation policy. (NNT)
