Bangkok--11 Mar--The Department of Fisheries
Thailand’s fishery industry contributes significantly to Thailand’s economy which generates more income from the exports. In Thai’s fishery industry, the fish meal is a crucial factor for aquacultural fish feed which contains nutrient-rich and high protein supplement feed ingredient.
More than 60-70 % of Thailand’s fish meal today comes from the wasted raw materials from fishery such as fish heads and fish bones. To add value from the wasted fishery materials, many of the food processing industries bring these wasted materials to “fish meal” production.
Of the country’s total fish meal production, 30-40 % of that has come from trash fish that cannot be consumed.
In 2012, Thailand produced fish meal more than 500,000 tons which mainly for domestic use. In the same period, the country also exported more than 63,000 tons and generated income of more than 2,136 Million Baht.
At present, the caught of trash fish obviously watch out from many sectors especially in terms of the responsible of fishery in legalization. At present, trash fish production reaches about 400,000-500,000 tons, accounting for 25-30% of the Kingdom’s total fishery production. Most of the trash fish, 55-70% is the real trash fish but cannot consume use only to produce fish meal. The use of this trash meal for fish meal production is not only drawn to create added value of the raw material but also to maximize the country’s natural resources.
Dr. Wimol Jantrarotai, Director General of the Fisheries Department, said Thailand’s Fisheries management takes a vital part about the responsibility of fishery in good practice and acceptance. In order to follow the legalized practice, the department has set up the office to certify the fishery rules and regulations followed by IUU fishing.
The regulation is drawn to certify that those trash fish and other marine animals have come from the department’s legal fishing requirement and appropriate tools. Under the fishery sustainability, it will also cover through the utilization of trash fish to make fish meal for aquaculture farms.
To ensure the environment safety, the department plans to for stringent restriction to certify trash fish fishing method. It will need to consider with concerned government agencies and private sectors including National Fisheries Association, Thai Feed Mill Association, Thai Fishmeal Producers Association and related organizations to set the framework of trash fish source legalization.
Moreover, Thailand’s Fisheries Department also gears to long-term plan for the fisheries resource preservation by the legal actions such as the prohibit fisheries along Gulf of Thailand coast closes in Prachuab Khirikhan, Chumporn, and Suratthani over 16.5 million rais between 15 Febuary — 15 May every year and Andaman coast close between 1 April — 30 June in Phuket, Pang-Nga, Krabi and Trang for fishing laying eggs and fertilization.
“We expect all these measures can help increase the aquatic production by 2.34 times. Besides, we will try to arrange marine shelter and artificial reef which is now set more than 472 locations across 22 provinces in bid to increase population of aquaculture as well as to prevent illegal fishery activity by large boat, stressed Dr. Wimol.
The department also has a policy to expand marine life conservation area from 3,000 meters to 5,400 meters that already implemented on closed inner Gulf of Thailand in nine provinces.. Last year, the department also arrested more than 400 illegal fisheries cases which it results to preserve the marine sustainability, said Dr.Wimol