Senate votes to ban small mesh nets for night fishing
The Senate has voted to prohibit the use of purse seine nets with mesh sizes smaller than 2.5cm for night fishing, leading to the return of the Lower House’s fisheries bill to MPs for further discussion.
The Upper House reviewed the amendment bill for the Royal Ordinance on Fisheries 2015 on Tuesday, following the Senate committee’s evaluation. The bill comprises 71 sections, each of which the Senate examined.
A significant focus was on Section 28, which proposes changes to Section 69 of the original 2015 law, particularly concerning purse seine nets.
The Senate opposed the amendment as passed by the House of Representatives and instead supported a ban on all purse seine nets with mesh sizes under 2.5cm for nighttime fishing.
In total, 128 senators supported the ban, while eight opposed it, and three abstained.
Senator Thewarit Maneechai highlighted that using fine-meshed nets to catch aquatic creatures beyond the 12 nautical mile mark at night could harm the aquatic population.
Tawat Suraban, chair of the Senate’s sub-committee studying the bill, expressed concerns that using light to attract anchovies with such nets at night might lead to the capture of younger marine life.
“We would ask the people’s representatives to weigh the facts and the country’s best interests.”
Despite these discussions, the Senate approved the bill with 141 votes for, three against, and four abstentions. Due to the Senate’s disagreement with Section 28, the bill will now return to the House for reconsideration. If the House aligns with the Senate’s stance, the bill will advance without modifications to Section 28, reported Bangkok Post.
If the House disagrees, a joint committee from both houses must be established for further consideration, according to Tawat. The final decision will rest with the Lower House members.
In similar news, the Department of Fisheries has assured the public that changes to Section 66 of a Fisheries Executive Decree will not affect Thai seafood exports to the United States. This follows concerns that the US may ban imports of Thai seafood linked to fishing gear harmful to marine mammals, as flagged by US authorities.
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