FAO/FISHCODE
Report of a bio-economic modelling workshop and a policy dialogue meeting on the Thai demersal fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand held at Hua Hin, Thailand, 31 May - 9 June 2000.
FAO/Norway Programme of assistance to developing countries for the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. (FISHCODE). Sub-programme F: Assistance to developing countries for improving the provision of scientific advice for fisheries management.
FI: GCP/INT/648/NOR: Field Report F-16 (En). Rome, FAO.104p.

SUMMARY

Similar to many marine fish stocks in Asia and elsewhere in the world, the demersal resources in the Gulf of Thailand have been subjected to excessive levels of fishing effort since perhaps as long as two to three decades. This has resulted in a change in catch composition with a higher share of short-lived species in the catch. The influence on the value of the catch is not unambiguously negative because several short-lived species including certain cephalopods and crustaceans fetch good prices in the market. In general, fish prices showed real increases over the last decade including so-called ‘trash-fish”, i.e. by-catches of small fishes that are converted into fishmeal. The rapid growth in feed-intensive livestock and shrimp culture production has resulted in a rapidly growing fishmeal market. However, there is certainly concern about the impact on the Gulf of Thailand ecosystem and on bio-diversity of a continuation of the very high levels of mostly indiscriminate fishing effort, especially bottom trawling. While the immediate effect of a reduction of fishing effort could cause a decline in the quantity and value of the catch, the long-term benefit is likely to be very large. This is indicated by the findings of all three types of modelling approaches applied during this workshop, namely surplus production model (Gordon-Schaefer and Gordon-Fox), age-structured Thompson & Bell model (BEAM 5) and mass-balance eco-system model (ECOPATH).

The immediate economic benefits arise from a reduction of harvesting costs. These are comparatively much larger in the trawl and pushnet fisheries because of both higher capital cost and higher operating costs, especially fuel costs. A reduction of fishing effort in the order of forty to fifty percent would be required to realize the full resource rent potential of the Thai demersal fisheries in the Gulf of Thailand. This would necessitate a major structural adjustment in terms of creating incentives for voluntary exit from the fishery as well as in terms of putting in place a management regime that would avoid a re-occurrence of excessive fleet capacity and fishing effort. This could only be achieved in close partnership with the fishing industry and by making available considerable financial and technical assistance for the adjustment process, especially in its early stages, to compensate owners of decommissioned fishing vessels and displaced crew and to strengthen management capabilities and capacities at all levels including central and local government agencies and community organizations.