Myanmar’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries has partially relaxed its ban on fishing off the southern coast during the spawning season, according to an official from the ministry.
A fishery officer from the Department of Fisheries, U Nyunt Sun, said that the move had been made following requests from thousands of fishermen who said their livelihoods would be in danger if they were not allowed to fish.
We now allow small-scale fishermen for one day trip fishing instead of totally restricting fishing in the close season. The bigger boats have no problem and they can go and fish at some other places, U Nyunt Sun said last week at the Myanmar Fisheries Federation meeting in Yangon.
U Nyunt Sun said if the close season ban is successfully adhered to then sea resources will increase.
The Navy’s coastguard closely watches the fishermen, and so far there are no boats breaking the regulations and no punishment has been made until now, said U Nyunt Sun.
The Department of Fisheries had originally imposed the ban on fishing in February for the conservation of natural resources, U Nyunt Sun told the Myanmar Times.
We now have started in the Taninthayi area and not other places. It’s just for research and we will continue the ban only if we find it helps increase marine resources. We have no intention of hurting the entrepreneurs and fishermen, said U Nyunt Sun.
China implemented a similar project since 1993 and they succeeded. We also expect to succeed and continue it for the whole coastal area, said U Nyunt Sun .
We intend to extend the ban to Yangon and Ayeyarwady regions.
But a representative of fishermen in Tanintharyi Region said when China instituted a close season, its government supported the fishermen. We accept a close season. But where is the support for us during those three months? he said.
The representative said the income of one lobster fisherman for a day ranges from K20,000 to K50,000, which is more than the K5000 they would get if they went to work in Thailand.
But they will go and work in Thailand if they can’t make enough money here because of the close season ban.
Some rich people here are asking for the ban because they can afford it. But for poor fishermen it’s a difficult situation, he said.
A fisherman from Kyunsu township in Tanintharyi Region said the Department of Fisheries had now allowed fishing boats with engines not exceeding 25 horsepower to fish in coastal areas on day trips.
It is a good move the government has taken [to relax the ban]. Now, small fishermen are very happy that they are getting jobs, said U Naung Mei who has been fishing in the area for the last 30 years.
The new regulation has benefited about 100,000 fishermen in the archipelago with more than 800 small islands, he told The Myanmar Times last week.
The next step is relaxation of the ban in parts of Mon State that were also included in the close season ban, according to the ministry official.
There are four main fishing areas in Myanmar: Mon State and Tanintharyi, Rakhine and Ayeyarwady regions.
Myanmar exported 386,000 tonnes of fish last year, earning US$653 million.