Gulf of Thailand is dead
Wanneer de Hope leaving Thai waters at the end of this week, the Greenpeace vessel leaves a dying sea as illegal, far-reaching and unregulated fishing – and authorities doing nothing – go unpunished.
That pessimistic conclusion Bangkok Post today in its editorial in response to the information Greenpeace has gathered over the past two weeks.
Barely a week in Thai waters, Greenpeace had already counted nearly a hundred trawlers scraping the seabed with their fine mesh nets, catching both large and small fish. This bycatch is sold to the industry to be processed into fishmeal as cheap feed for pigs, chickens and shrimp farms.
De Hope (Spanish for hope) also saw trawlers fishing in the 3 kilometer zone off the coast, where they are not allowed to go at all because this is the breeding ground for fish. Equally saddening were the illegal cockle farms that are destroying the coast with their harvesting methods.
Fortunately, it wasn't all doom and gloom. The Hope also met fishermen and environmental groups, who are committed to preserving local life resources and trying to preserve marine biodiversity.
But those are exceptions. In the early 300s, according to a study by the Fisheries Department, the catch was 2009 kilograms of fish per hour; by 14 it had shrunk to 30 kilos per hour and only XNUMX percent of the catch was economically viable. The rest was trash fish that went straight to the fishmeal factories.
What the Hopecrew has seen is not new, writes Bangkok Post. Her findings confirm the problems, which have existed for decades and which the authorities are doing nothing about. Corruption is rampant at all levels. Despite the unmissable presence of the trawlers, Greenpeace did not witness any arrests. That is the crux of the problem: lax or no enforcement of the law at all.
Thailand has many laws to protect its coastal waters. The trawlers, the fine-mesh nets, commercial fishing in protected areas, the discharge of sewage from factories into the sea – it's all banned. Not to mention the misuse of foreign labor on fishing vessels. All this gives Thailand a bad name.
(Source: Bangkok Post, June 28, 2013)
Would you have expected anything else – given the mentality across Asia, by the way?
Never before has anyone in a government function there and very many in the private world been interested in how nature and the environment are doing. Also think of all the dirt that has washed into the sea for decades. Even a Thai minister, who advised to use plastic Loi Krathong flower arrangements, because it made less mess. Oh, that plastic, it washes further away from me than arm's length anyway, so.. just look at all the stray plastic. They don't care one bit about them.
What do you think of the rubbish that was carried to the sea during the great flood of winter 2011-212? Fish with more mercury and battery waste than fish meat…so be it.
In Asia, the very last animal will be killed for pleasure, and then… mai pen rai. All she cares about is the last greedy Baht right now.
Overfishing in the Gulf of Thailand is not only done by large fishing trawlers close to the coast, but also by other, mostly Chinese, boats just outside the border.
The problem is not only the fish, but especially the economic consequences for the small local fishermen. Incidentally, in the south most Islam, which only exacerbates the problems, and possibly also explains the inaction of the local Buddhist authorities.
Really sad to see them sailing out almost in vain every day with their small boats. And that while their fuel costs keep rising.
Harry,
A very good response. Almost nothing to add. Caro, I don't really understand what Islam actually has to do with it. These are also small fishermen who have problems with overfishing of the big boys.
Just like in my village Bangsary. Those men and women go out to sea in such a nutshell at the risk of their own lives. Less and less revenue, less and less money.
As it is in life. The big boys take everything. The little ones have only the crumbs left.
J. Jordan.
Fishing is not a problem for me, overfishing is. So is the destruction of the mangrove forests, which provide safety for the young fish.
And why involve religion?
Provide respect for all life in your own environment, so that there are also good examples.
Clarification of the religion point: The small fishermen and their villages in the south are mainly Islam. They are directly threatened in their traditional existence and way of life. There is no intervention by the authorities, Bangkok and Buddhist
This threat comes from overfishing and fishing too close to shore with large boats. These boats are often owned by companies in Bangkok or by Chinese families.
This exacerbates the problem in the south. Or as a Yingluck minister recently said on Pukhet, if you don't vote for us, don't expect us to do anything for you.
Earlier in this blog, an editorial from the Bangkok Post was quoted in which it was stated that the problems with the Muslims in the south have arisen due to the virtual lack of fish revenues. Traditionally, many people in the south depended on fishing.
It would be wiser to deal with the trawlers with naval vessels than to send more and more soldiers south.