Spreading the Importance of the Fishery Resource Management!

• Course Title: Coastal Fisheries Resource Management 2008, Group Training
• Implementing Partner: INTEM Consulting, Inc
• Organizer: Yokohama International Center (JICA Yokohama)

I am fisheries biologist in coastal fishing ground development section under the Southern Marine Fisheries Development Center. It has been working on small-scale fishery development and the coast resource rehabilitation because the catch is decreasing tendency in Thailand in recent years.

Through JICA's training course, I was learning that most devices were performed neither for the small size fish that cannot take to the market nor for the gravid fish. Those keeping regulations are keys to the fishery resource management in Japan. I would like to practice it also in Thailand.

We have also various national regulations of the mesh size and the going out fishing period etc. But it is not executed because the fishery person doesn't defend the rules. On the other hand, in Japanese fisheries cooperative association, they voluntarily limit fishing method or fishing gear for prevention of over fishing, I was very impressed by the fact. Because the fishery of Thailand is a bottom-up type, I think we have to make fishermen understood the importance of the fishery resource management firstly.

After returning to my country, I would like to work on the resource conservation of especially the Blue Swimming Crab, popular marine resources in Thailand. Before carrying it out, what I should do first is that I have more discussions with the fishermen to teach the necessity of the mesh size regulations and the closed season. Then I will spread the importance of the fishery resource management.