Greenpeace calls for a stop on overfishing in the Gulf

Greenpeace is calling on the Government of Thailand’s to more effectively enforce policy and law on the rules of overfishing and have been sailing around local waters with banners asking fishermen to ‘Stop Hurting the Sea.’

Green peace believe that there are up to 70 vessels in the Gulf fishing 24 hours a day and depleting the sea of its valuable resources. If this practice continues they warn that the area will gradually become useless for fishing and hope that the Government will impose greater restrictions on fishing in this area and closely monitor existing fishing practices. They claim that fishing vessels in this area are using tyres and sheet metal to trawl the area that is destroying marine life and the delicate marine eco system as well as killing young sharks, fish and turtles that have not had the chance to grow.

Thailand’s marine life has seen a dramatic decrease over the last ten years and if this issue is not dealt with immediately there will not be enough sea life left to recover the situation. They say “we must protect marine resources and livelihoods of coastal fishing communities by the transition to a sustainable fishing fleet.”

The Greenpeace vessel the Samuel S. Perry will continue to patrol the area to collect information on illegal fishing practices and representatives will be networking with conservation agencies to educate local fishermen in marine conservation that is vital to food security for the country. They plan to stay in the area until June 30 before heading to Songkla and then reporting their findings in Bangkok. They will then move onto the Philippine’s to examine fishing practices there.

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