Little Man in the Big Wood

By: Dawn SRV

Nov 29 2014

Tags: conservation, cork tree, ecology, fisherman, fishermen, fishing, food, wildlife

Category: For the love of the river

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Wetlands fishermen have had problems for quite some times. Quantity of industrial push nets and trawls has increased drastically. Although the authority has made it a rule that industrial push nets and trawls cannot be operated within 3,000 metres from coastline, this rule cannot stop the operation. Industrial fishing boats still violate this rule whenever they can. Fish meal industry in Thailand has the largest capacity in the world. The factories require a lot of raw materials. Push net fishing boats supply fish to those factories. They are the destroyers of food chain link in the sea.

In an effort to protect their fishing ground, fishermen organized an exhibition to demonstrate to Bangkok people how rich our sea is. They packed fresh sea food to be sold in the exhibition and explain to visitors with eager explanation, ensuring that the 22 sea coast provinces can feed the whole country if we give our sea a chance by removing industrial push nets and trawls.

The event was organized in a park where the last cork tree was. I was glad to see many NGOs helping the fishermen to present their case.

Fishermen’s simple fishing tools

I found many NGO booths including international ones like Greenpeace.

Fishermen’s enemy – industrial fishing boats.

Effort from an NGO has born fruits. They asked fishermen to donate crabs with roes caught. The NGO then nurse the young crab before returning them to the sea. Quantity of crabs has increased a lot.

Those cockles were larger than a golf ball. In front were a special type of seashell found in the area where they are going to build Pak Bara deep sea port. Villagers do not really know the future of this species. 

Villagers busily introduced their products and seas.