A clarification has been issued explaining that fishermen are still allowed to fish in the Thale Luang freshwater lake between Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces where the endangered Irrawady dolphin population has dropped to 14.
The clarification came as many fishermen complained they were barred from fishing in the area of the lake designated as a no-hunting zone. The fishermen insisted the ban has taken away their livelihood and took the matter up with the Ombudsman.
Wongsakorn Noonchukan, deputy governor of Songkhla, said the ombudsman issued the clarification, saying the fishermen could still fish in the lake and the no-hunting zone as long as they do not use gear which endangers the dolphins. A survey in June last year by the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre, Lower Gulf of Thailand, revealed a sharp drop in the dolphin's population in the lake, from 50 to 14. The centre also found that 60% of dolphins perished from being caught in illegal fishing gear, 38% from diseases and 2% from being injured by boat propellers.