NCPO orders removal of fishing traps
PRATCH RUJIVANAROM,
KANITHA SITHONG,
SANTHIPHAB RAMSUIT
THE NATION

Soldiers dismantle illegal mesh nets used for fishing in Surat Thani province yesterday at the order of the National Council for Peace and Order.

BANGKOK: -- FISHERMEN LAMENT LOSS OF TRADITIONAL LIVELIHOOD AS ALL EQUIPMENT REMOVED

MORE THAN 10,000 local fishermen will lose their livelihoods if the government abolishes the use of traditional fish traps, locals in Songkhla province said yesterday.

Safi-ei Khongkalimin, a representative of the fishermen, said abolishing traditional fishing traps and nets would greatly affect locals, who have been depending on fish from Songkhla Lake for generations.

Safi-ei's comment came after Songkhla Governor Thamrong Charoenkul ordered relevant agencies to remove more than 1,500 fish traps and 27,000 shrimp traps from the lake, citing an order from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to abolish the use of six types of fishing equipment.

As the deadline for fishermen to remove their traps came to an end on Thursday, Thamrong had 500 soldiers and policemen in place to be ready for resistance from fishermen, as well as help with the dismantling mission.

"Fish traps have been traditionally used here for generations. Banning these and other equipment will have a major impact on the fishing community on Songkhla Lake, because we don't have any other way of earning a living," Safi-ei said.

He said that considering these traps destructive was incorrect, as the mesh is more than 3 centimetres wide, which allows young fish to pass through. Also, he said, fish traps are only used for four hours during low tide.

Targeting illegal practices

The military's ruling NCPO has declared that traditional fish traps along with five other types of fishing equipment will be banned as part of an effort to solve the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

"I think they might be dismantling the fish traps because they obstruct boats in the lake," Safi-ei said. "But these traps are not owned by rich entrepreneurs, but poor fishermen who live by the lake."

Besides, he said, the real reason for the drop in marine life in the lake is the recently developed deepwater port at mouth of the lake, a gate that changes the water flow as well as adding pollution.

"These [fish traps] are our life and identity. We have been making a living from the lake this way for several generations," he said.

On Thursday, Trang Governor Somsak Parisuttho Hemathanon also issued an order for fishermen to remove their fish traps by next Wednesday, or face legal action.

In Surat Thani, more than 50 soldiers destroyed illegal fishing traps owned by a local influential person in Chaiya district. Officers were unable to arrest the owners of these traps.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/NCPO-orders-removal-of-fishing-traps-30268650.html

-- The Nation 2015-09-12

Surat Thani traps owned by a local influential person, now where have we heard that before ?

Officers were unable to arrest the owners but is it unable, didn't want to or told not to ? Will this actually be followed up or is removal enough ?

Need article 44, army, artillery for a couple of landing nets.

The proof that Navy has to buy submarines.

"Officers were unable to arrest the owners of these traps."

Backhanders altogether too big to ignore no doubt.

Officials were unable to arrest the owners of these traps? Why not? Oh, sorry cannot, influential people are above the law. TIT.

yes, they have been doing it for how many years without any licences knowing its illegal. Same old. same old, no one stopped us before why should we be stopped now. Illegal id fine as long as they are not caught out or told to stop doing it then they bitch, if it doesnt effect the fishing where are all the fish then, bugger all around these days because these idiots have decimated the marine stocks through using illegal methods, they simply never learn and think they can continually take everything and buddha will keep replenishing it.

And the military takes one more step on the path of p*ssing off the Thai people.

There's a certain inevitability to what happens next in this process.

Only a limited number of choices.