Fishermen in the southern province of Songkhla have refused to remove their set bag nets from the sea despite the government ban.
Songkhla fishermen affirmed their set bag nets would remain in the sea. They claimed most of fishermen in Songkhla province relied mainly on set bag nets. If the government wanted them to remove their equipment, it must first offer them other jobs that enabled them to support their families.
Fishing operators are required to dismantle their set bag nets by September 10th. Those who continue to possess the equipment will be considered as wrongdoers. Their fishing tools will be removed by state officials after the deadline.
Set bag net is among the six types of fishing tools in the government list of prohibited equipment. Others include some types of trawl-push nets, surrounding nets with very tiny grids and collapsible fish traps. The government has issued a ban on these tools for fear that they could pose a risk to fish stocks.
More than 500 fishermen in Songkhla in late August submitted a letter to the governor, petitioning the government to review its order.
