A fishing ban has been issued to allow fish stock to recover off the coasts of Prachuap Khiri Khan down to Surat Thani, says the Department of Fishery (DoF).
The ban is issued over two periods -- from Feb 15 to May 15 and from May 16 to June 14, affecting multiple maritime zones.
The first period covers sea areas from the tip of Laem Monglai in Prachuap Khiri Khan to Don Sak district of Surat Thani. The second period concerns areas from the tip of Laem Monglai to Hua Hin district, also located in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The ban was announced in Muang district of Chumphon, a province located between Prachuap Khiri Khan and Surat Thani, during a ceremony presided over by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Akkhara Prompow on Thursday.
At the ceremony, fish and shrimp hatchlings were released into the sea to boost marine life stock in the area.
DoF director-general Bancha Sukkaew said the ban is essential for the seasonal replenishing of fish stock in the Gulf of Thailand. The ban provides fish enough time to spawn, and it is expected to sustain fish stock and the fishing industry that depends on it, as well as food security.
He added that fishermen and the public had been educated about the need to impose the annual ban, with assistance from state authorities.
He also cited a survey confirming that from Saturday to May 15 is peak breeding season for adult mackerels off the coasts of Prachuap Khiri Khan and Surat Thani.
After that, the hatchlings make their way to the deeper sea to grow into adult fish, he said.
The fishing ban is enacted under four departmental regulations issued after they went through public hearings attended by fishermen, seafood traders and academics, Mr Bancha said.
The regulations were also vetted by experts from within and outside of the DoF before they were enacted, he added.
He also warned that when the ban is not in effect, the equipment that fishermen use to catch fish, including nets, must meet the legal requirements.
Offenders of the fishing ban face a fine of between 5,000 and 30 million baht, depending in the size of the fishing vessels, or up to times the value of the fish haul, he added.