Fishing gear and methods in Southeast Asia: I. Thailand

Abstract

Presently, Marine fisheries development is aimed to the Sustainable Fisheries for food security for the people. Responsible fishing is taking into consideration to be implemented under the Regional Guideline Code of Conduct. So that the development is not only to increase the effectiveness of fishing operation but also to make use of fisheries resources as the most highest benefit as possible. However, in most cases, the introduction of foreign or modern fishing gears and technology may not be appropriate owing to its’ high cost and its possible effects on the resources and environmental selection, and modification of the existing traditional fishing gears and methods to improve its selection and catch ability is therefore recommended, in particular in the small-scale fishing development for most developing countries around the world.

The study on the traditional fishing gear of Thailand was pioneered in 1949 by two fishery biologists of the Thai Department of Fisheries on their return form study in Japan. Mr.Swang Charernphol and Mr.Sanan Ruamrak stared surveys of the fishing gear employed by Thai fishermen along the coasts of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The results of their study were published by the Department of Fisheries in 1950. Later, in 1969, the revised edition of fishing gear used in the marine fisheries of Thailand was published by the Exploratory Fishing Unit of the Thai Department of fisheries. This publication was recognized as a reference book no Thai fishing gear unit resent years.

In Late 1970, the SEAFDEC Training Department initiated a systematic study on the fishing gear and methods employed by fishermen in the region. Fishing gear experts and staff of the Training Department had carried out the Marine Fishing Gear and methods survey through the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea in 1985, and the results had been published in April 1986 by The Training Department of SEAFDEC.

In the pass sixteen years, marine fisheries of Thailand has grate development, more fishing effort were put on the same limited fishing ground. Many conflicts were occurred among fishermen due to the declination of fisheries resources and fishing ground environment. So the first volume of Fishing gears and methods in Southeast Asia : Thailand was needed to be revised. The literature review was started in June 2002, then the reconfirmation survey had been carried out in August 2002 by spot checked to the high significant area, interesting fishing gears has been investigated and compiled into this revision.

The original concept of this book was to compile information on the fishing gears used in the small-scale fisheries of various countries of Southeast Asia and compare the efficiency of the gears in order to effect low cost improvements. Then the concept has created a lot of fishing gears development in the region for more than fifteen years. In the new millennium, world fisheries a resource is declined while the demand of food for the people is more needed. So the revision of this book is emphasized on responsible fishing on order to promote sustainable fisheries in the region. Four fishing gear experts and researcher of the Training Department had carried out the survey for collecting information and data of the improved and developed fishing gears.

The revised volume contains description of 185 marine fishing gears presently employed by the marine fisheries of Thailand, 35 were juts developed during the passed 16 years. It is hoped that this revision volume can serve as a useful reference for those who are interested in Thai fisheries.