Bangkok: The cabinet has approved a 1.6 billion baht compensation plan aimed at removing 1,682 fishing boats from the system. This initiative is a strategic move to address the declining number of marine animals and align the management of Thai fishing boats with current marine resources.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Anukul Prueksanusak, the deputy government spokesman, announced that the cabinet meeting has endorsed the allocation of 1,622 million baht from the 2025 budget to compensate for the removal of 923 fishing boats. This decision follows the impact of IUU fishing regulations on 570 boats since 2015. Additionally, the plan includes removing 2,505 boats from the system, which comprises boats with licenses that are opting out of commercial fishing, in an effort to balance the fishing capacity with the sustainable levels of marine life.
The government plans to dismantle 873 of these vessels, providing 1,517 million baht in compensation. These decommissioned boats will be repurposed for various uses, such as transforming them into coffee shops, restaurants, libraries, hotels, among other purposes. Furthermore, some fishing houses will be converted into alternative types of ships. From the existing fleet of 9,987 commercial fishing vessels, the government aims to reduce the fleet by 17 percent, equating to approximately 1,682 ships, to better align with the current state of the marine ecosystem.