The government is setting the stage for an environmental disaster by legalising destructive fishing practices that threaten to leave Thai seas barren and marine biodiversity in ruins.
Despite the relentless decline of Thailand's marine resources due to overfishing, the government is amending fishery laws to permit the use of uan lom jab, or surrounding nets, at night. These nets, which employ light fishing and fine-meshed designs stretching for kilometres, pose a dire threat to already fragile marine ecosystems. Like trawlers, this method does not target a single species -- it sweeps up everything in its path, from juvenile fish to rare marine species vital to ocean health.
When trawlers were first introduced in Thailand in 1961, the catch per hour was 300 kilogrammes. By 2009, this had plummeted to just 14kg, with only 30% of the catch having economic value. Fine-meshed nets used by trawlers and anchovy fleets scoop up "trash fish," which are sent to the agro-industry to produce animal feed, further accelerating the depletion of fish stocks.
The anchovy fleet's use of light fishing and fine-meshed nets has worsened the crisis. Small-scale fisherfolk pressured the government to ban surrounding nets at night, limit anchovy fleets, and push trawlers out of coastal waters. These measures offered a lifeline to marine ecosystems, but the proposed amendment threatens to undo that progress.
The Pheu Thai-led coalition government, with support from the opposition and the so-called progressive People's Party, now seeks to change this. The seeds of this crisis were sown in 1996, when anchovy fleets were permitted to use light fishing at night with lift nets and falling nets, though surrounding nets were still prohibited. Even so, fish stocks plummeted. Annual catches of pla tu (mackerel), which once exceeded 140,000 tonnes, dwindled to near extinction. Juvenile pla tu are now sold as dried food or animal feed, representing a tragic loss of future stock and economic value.
For Thailand's 300,000 small-scale fishing families, sustainable fishing and healthy marine ecosystems are essential to their livelihoods. They have long fought against industrial fishing practices, but their voices are often drowned out by powerful industry lobbyists and politicians. Now, they are standing firm against the new amendment, which would legalise surrounding nets at night for the first time in Thai history.
Proponents of the amendment claim it is a technical correction, arguing the current law was hastily implemented under the military junta to address EU sanctions for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. However, critics say this justification obscures the true intent: to roll back progress and prioritise the profits of large fishing businesses at the expense of ecological sustainability.
While proponents insist that surrounding nets will only be allowed beyond 12 kilometres from shore, they fail to mention that these nets will intercept pla tu migration routes in the Gulf of Thailand, cutting off fish before they can reach coastal areas.
Surrounding nets with fine-meshed designs spanning kilometres indiscriminately scoop up juvenile fish, devastating the ocean's food chain, fish stocks, and long-term economic potential. One year's worth of juvenile fish lost to this method could generate billions of baht if allowed to mature, yet they are discarded as bycatch or sold as cheap animal feed, squandering a renewable resource for short-term gain.
Thailand is already among the region's worst offenders for allowing small net sizes. While neighbouring countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh enforce minimum mesh sizes of 6cm or larger, Thailand's "standard" of 2.5cm often shrinks to a mere 3mm in practice, destroying marine biodiversity and disrupting ecosystems critical to sustainability.
What's at stake is more than just fish stocks. Pla tu is not only a source of food but a cultural symbol connecting generations. Losing this species would be both an ecological and cultural tragedy.
This reckless decision also jeopardises the country's food security. Healthy seas are vital for providing affordable protein to millions of Thais. Destroying juvenile fish populations will push small-scale fisherfolk further into poverty, exacerbate inequality, and drive up seafood prices for consumers.
The government and opposition parties must recognise the long-term consequences of siding with big industry. This amendment is a step toward ecological collapse. On Nov 29, small-scale fishermen from 15 provinces petitioned the House of Representatives to halt this impending disaster. The petition was submitted ahead of the draft law's reading in the upcoming parliamentary session.
Parliament must reject this amendment and focus on restoring marine ecosystems. Supporting small-scale fisherfolk is not just the right thing to do -- it is essential for Thailand's future. If the government proceeds, it will go down in history as the architect of Thailand's marine demise.