Fishery Development and Management in Thailand

Abstract

After a period of stabilization lasting more than 20 years, the Thai sea fisheries developed rapidly during the past decade through the introduction of trawl fishing. Suitable nets and fishing techniques were demonstrated and introduced in the course of a German bilateral aid project. This new input, together with a high level of technical abilities among the fishermen, the availability of sufficient capital to finance a trawler fleet of more than 2,500 boats, and adequate support from the Thai Government, resulted in rapid development of trawling from small vessels. Landings were about 600,000 metric tons of groundfish from the coastal area in 1970. About half of this is for human consumption, the remainder mostly being used fresh for duck food or, after processing, as chicken food. The level of development achieved has unfortunately meant that the moderately rich bottom-fish resources of the Gulf of Thailand have become overexploited. In 1971 the catch per unit of effort had decreased to only a quarter of the original, making trawling operations only marginally economic. This points up the difficult problem of the control of fishing effort, which the Government of Thailand, no less than other nations, has not yet been able to resolve satisfactorily.