Commercial fishing is destroying marine ecology

Commercial fishing is destroying marine ecology

Catching fish that are too young will result in a population collapse. (Photo by Cui Yuchen)
Catching fish that are too young will result in a population collapse. (Photo by Cui Yuchen)

Commercial fishing with destructive gear has long ravaged marine ecology and caused the rapid depletion of marine resources. Without public attention focusing on this grave problem, a solution will not be found.

Evidently, public interest in destructive commercial fishing is minuscule compared with the furore around the use of slave labour in the fishing industry, which has taken up considerable media attention over the past months. After media reports of human rights abuses in the industry gave rise to concerns that Thai seafood products could be banned in the international market, several government agencies rushed to tackle the issue. 

It's a different matter with the exploitation of marine resources. Irresponsible commercial trawlers, with the use of fine-mesh nets, can still indiscriminately scoop up huge catches of fish. The use of electric lights - powered by mini-generators - to lure small fish such as anchovies is no less destructive. This fishing gear sweeps sea beds, destroying coral and rocks - the sea's ecology system where marine creatures live and breed.

Banjong Nasae, the veteran conservationist who has fought against the destructive fishing industry for decades, said 40% of catches caught by trawlers' fine-mesh nets are baby fish that should be released and allowed to grow and breed. 

All those baby fish trapped in fine nets simply go to the animal feed industry, which is a major player in supporting unsustainable fishing.  

He likened the commercial trawlers' operations to "marine species cleansing". 

It is unfortunate that this devastation of marine lives and ecology hardly crosses consumers' minds. 

"We found that consumers in Thailand and further afield are sensitive to the issue of labour exploitation and health issues," Mr Banjong said, referring to the slave labourers rescued from Indonesia recently.

"They do not pay much attention to the impact of fine-mesh trawlers, or the catching of small fish to supply the feed industry," he told a recent seminar on the impact of the feedstock industry on forest and marine ecology.

Mr Banjong wants to see the commercial trawlers banned. If it's necessary to save the sea, the government should pay compensation to the 5,700 registered trawlers, he said.

His proposal may sound extreme but he's not the only one who supports it. In fact, the Indonesian government in January officially banned the use of trawlers and seine nets in a bid to reduce illegal fishing, both by foreign and Indonesian trawlers. It is also to accommodate legitimate fishermen, including those from poor fishing communities who use less destructive fish-harvesting methods.

In the same month, the Indonesian government issued new regulations to ensure that fishermen catch only mature lobsters and crabs. The acceptable size, under the regulation, is a minimum of eight centimetres in length for lobsters, 15cm for crabs and 10cm for flower crabs. Females carrying eggs must be released.

Such a ban is progressive, courageous and necessary, despite threats of protests by fishermen who are affected by the ban.

But in Thailand, both law and law enforcement are problematic.

The Fishery Bill - the revised version of the archaic BE 2490 law - still permits the use of trawlers with fine-mesh nets in deep sea fishing. While that gear is banned in protected areas, some 3,000 metres from the coast, weak enforcement means the ban is not effective.

Thailand should revise the Fishery Bill by banning destructive fishing gear and empowering local fisherfolk to manage and protect their seas, Mr Banjong said.

So what can consumers do? For starters, seafood lovers should pay more attention to how fish are caught and make sure that the method is not destructive. They can also support sustainable fishing.

There are now a number of social enterprises which work with local fisherfolk who are protecting their coastal seas from trawlers’ annihilation. Among them are Kon Jab Pla Shop, a campaign by small-scale local fishermen in southern provinces, and another project by the Earth Net Foundation under Green Net  which provide organic fishery products to city people. In particular, the Earth Net Foundation's organic fishery products are about to win an organic certificate from the Organic Agriculture Certificate Thailand this June, making it the country's first certified organic seafood. They have five-star hotels and some famous restaurants as clients.

As consumers, we should also encourage better labelling, or a seafood product stewardship campaign to recognise sustainable seafood.

Loving seafood is not enough. Consumers need to care for the sea, pay attention to how fish are caught, and oppose environmentally-destructive fishing.


Anchalee Kongrut writes about the environment in the Life section, Bangkok Post.

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