Bkk Post - Brainless animals sold o

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Subject: Bkk Post - Brainless animals sold out national resource

Bangkok post - Oct 25, 1999.
Fishing 'goldmine' gradually running out
Excessive trawling leaves only 3-5 years more of happy hunting

Onnucha Hutasingh and Achataya Chuenniran

Burmese waters have for decades been regarded as a goldmine for Thai
fishermen. But over-fishing in the past several years is fast depleting fish
stocks to the extent that within the next 3-5 years the Burmese sea may face
the same fate as the Gulf of Thailand.

Chakrit Pimthong, an information officer attached to the Thai-Burmese
fishery co-ordinating centre in Ranong, said recently that from his
observation, Thai fishing boats nowadays took much longer to fill their
hulls with catches than they did a couple of years ago.

If over-fishing continues unchecked, he predicted that within five years the
Burmese "goldmine" would turn into a barren sea of water with scarcely any
fish.

Mr Chakrit's doomsday prediction was also shared by Mr Koh (surname
withheld), a veteran skipper who has more than 20 years' fishing experience
in Burmese waters.

"I know the Burmese waters better than many Burmans," he said, adding: "I
give it two years before the sea is depleted."Mr Koh recalled that about
seven years ago his trawler could within one day net about one tonne of
black tiger prawns, many of which were almost one foot long.

"It will be very fortunate if we can catch 120 prawns a day now," he said.

It appears the golden era of fishing in Burmese waters has gone. Yet, many
Thai vessels still flock to the Burmese sea because it is still more
abundant than Thai waters and also because the owners of the vessels have
little option.

Another veteran skipper who declined to be named, said before Rangoon opened
its waters to fishing by foreign vessels, many Thai fishermen took the risk
to illegally fish in Burmese waters despite the threat of arrest by Burmese
sailors and attacks from pirates, mostly anti-Rangoon rebels who demanded
protection fees which could go up to 500,000 baht per vessel for six months.
"But it was worth the risk because in just two trips we could make enough
profit from the catches to build another fishing boat worth about ten
million baht," said the skipper.

In recent years however, he said the Burmese navy's capability had been
significantly improved thanks to assistance from China. "This resulted in a
decline in piracy and illegal fishing, thus forcing Thai fishermen to turn
to Rangoon for fishing concessions."Even without the recent fishing ban,
most operators who relied on Burmese waters had been struggling for
survival. The skipper said the value of each catch, amounting to one million
baht, was just enough to cover costs, which included wages, fuel, ice, food
and visa fees. On top of that, he said, each vessel had to pay exit and
entry fees at Kawthaung port, monthly donations to the Burmese commanding
officer of the southern zone, monthly donations to the governor of Kawthaung
and fees at the four checkpoints before the vessel reached the fishing
ground.