Thai government's deadline for legal fishing triggers widespread impacts

THAILAND, July 1 (TNA) - Most fishing operators in Thailand have their boats moored in many areas, as authorities start suppressing illegal fishing boats on July 1. Hundreds of fishing boats are tied up at the Chumphon River estuary in Chumphon Province in the Thai South, for instance, as they have no licences for operations. Pisal Santiwichaya, president of a local fishing association in Chumphon, told journalists on Wednesday that most fishing boats in his province have no licences for their operations and fishing instruments, as it costs them 2,000-3,000 baht to acquire legal equipment for each fishing boat. In Songkhla Province, in the Thai Far South, local fishing operators and related entrepreneurs plan their work stoppage on July 4, but, as the suppression starts on July 1, most local fishing boats were returning to their shore to avoid arrests because they have no licences either. Consequently, no fresh and wild sea fish are available in many Thai areas now, including Samui Island in the southern Surat Thani Province, prompting vendors to have turned to frozen and farm-raised fish but the products are not popular among consumers, while many vendors have closed their shops. In Chiang Mai Province in the Thai North, seafood prices have been rising and some restaurateurs are building up their seafood stocks. In Buri Ram Province in the Thai Northeast, seafood prices have increased by 10-20 baht per kilogram and it is now less available. (TNA)