SEAFDEC PROGRAMS OF ACTIVITIES IN 2021
1. Strategy I: Securing the sustainability of fisheries to contribute to food security, poverty alleviation and livelihood of people in the region
1.6 Development and promotion of responsible fishing technologies Responsible Fishing Technology and Practice
1.6 Development and promotion of responsible fishing technologies
Online Regional Training Course on Deck Machineries and Hauling
Devices to Reduce Manpower in Fishing Vessels and Enhance Safety
in Fishing Operations on 5–6 May 2021
Online Regional Training Course of Fish Handling Techniques Onboard Fishing Vessels on 12–13 May 2021
Improvement of Fisheries Technology and Reduction of the Impact from Fishing Activities In addition to the aforementioned regional Project, TD also implemented its Departmental Program on “Improvement of Fisheries Technology and Reduction of the Impact from Fishing Activities.” This Program comprises three scopes of activities, namely: 1) Research and promotion of appropriate technologies and practices of fishing and marine engineering;
2) Study on the impact on fisheries resources, marine environments, social well-being, and livelihood from fishing activities; and 3) Database for fisheries management.
Under the first scope of activities, an expert from TD supported the DOF, Thailand to improve the midwater trawl net of the research vessel of the DOF, Thailand. In the past, all research vessels of the DOF, Thailand were installed with standard bottom trawl to support the conduct of demersal fishery resources survey. However, bottom trawl nets have limitations in investigating the abundance and distribution of small pelagic fishery resources, e.g. sardines, Indian mackerel, and Indo-Pacific mackerel, that are important for the region. The use of midwater trawl nets would therefore be more appropriate not only for the investigation of small pelagic fishery resources but also when it is operated in combination with a scientific echo sounder that could be equipped onboard the vessel.
In addition, to follow up the study undertaken in 2020 on the scientific echo sounder suitable for the M.V. SEAFDEC 2, TD in 2021 acquired and installed the scientific echo sounder SIMRAD EK-80 onboard the M.V. SEAFDEC 2. The scientific echo sounder is one of the most effective tools used by leading marine scientists and international research institutes in the conduct of the stock assessment. The split band echo sounder system
of SIMRAD EK-80 could be operated using a wide range of frequencies simultaneously from 10 kHz to 500 kHz which is an international standard for fish stock assessment, and the equipment could be operated in combination with the midwater trawl onboard the M.V. SEAFDEC 2 to investigate the abundance and distribution of the small pelagic fishery resources. The ability to apply the scientific echosounder SIMRAD EK-80 in combination with the midwater trawl operations is envisaged to be very useful for the SEAFDEC Member Countries requesting to use the M.V. SEAFDEC 2 in obtaining more accurate data on fishery resources to support better management of fisheries. SEAFDEC will continue to utilize the M.V. SEAFDEC 2 to support shipboard surveys to conduct stock assessments of small pelagic fishery resources for requesting Member Countries in the future.
TD also continued the conduct of research and development on the use of deck machinery to improve net hauling efficiency and reduce manpower in purse seine fishing operations.
The improvement of deck machinery, i.e. installation of power block on a private purse seiner, NOR LARPRASERT 8 in Pattani Province, Thailand to serve as a prototype vessel which was undertaken in 2020, was continued and completed in 2021. The original Thai purse seine net (materials, design, and construction) was modified and improved to be more appropriate to the new auxiliary equipment on the deck, especially the power block and other deck machinery to support net hauling. It is expected that the use of the hauling devices in combination with a more appropriate purse seine net would enhance the fishing operation efficiency by reducing manpower and improve safety in the conduct of fishing operations onboard the purse seiner.
Moreover, considering that TD has recently acquired in 2020 a new multi-purpose training vessel M.V. PLALUNG, the technical support was extended through this Project in 2021, i.e. installing the V-shape otter board onboard the vessel. It is expected that the V-shape otter board would improve trawling operations and reduce the negative impacts from the ploughing of otter board through the seabed.
Under the second scope of activities, TD completed the conduct of research on the impacts of fishing activities on the social well-being of fishers in Krabi Province, Thailand. TD also promoted the use of fish handling techniques and labor-saving equipment at Baan Nai Nang in Krabi Province and enhanced awareness of fishers and community members on the importance of hygiene to the catch after harvest and during the sorting process. This activity was intended to supplement the activity on promoting the implementation of the EAFM concept in Krabi Province, Thailand (see 1.5, sub-topic on Small-scale Fisheries Management for Better Livelihood and Fisheries Resources). The Project also intended to support the conduct of case studies on improving the market access of small-scale fisheries in Thailand, however, this activity was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 situation.
TD also conducted the study on the status and impacts from fishing operations on marine environment. The development of the publication “Scombrid Fish Larvae and Juvenile in Southeast Asia” was facilitated, and it is expected that the publication would be produced in 2022. However, the conduct of another study “Types and Amount of Debris on the Surface Layer of Chao Phraya River flowing into the Gulf of Thailand” was postponed to 2022.
Under the third scope of activities, the proposal for the development of a database system to compile fisheries socioeconomic information and small-scale fisheries studies was under preparation. The database system was aimed at facilitating TD researchers working on socioeconomics and small-scale fisheries to be able to manage and analyze the data collected from relevant projects and research studies, as well as to compile such data into reports or publications. Aiming to be user-friendly, the structure of the database system is expected to be finalized in 2022; and the data input into this database would be carried out in the following years.
Fishing Technologies and Operation in Thailand and Options for Innovation and Improvement
Under the Letter of Understanding between the FAO and SEAFDEC for the provision of “An assessment of the sustainability of currently used fishing technologies and operations in Thailand and options for innovation and improvements,” TD with support from the Project consultant gathered data and information from desk review on fishing technologies and operations currently undertaken in Thailand. Moreover, the survey on fishing technologies and cost and revenue from fishing operations was conducted in Rayong Province, Thailand.
From such data collection, the Project came up with aggregated information on fishing technologies used, i.e. in otter board trawls, pair trawls, purse seines, gillnets, squid cast nets, and anchovy falling nets; while the cost and revenue from fishing operations using such technologies were analyzed. TD subsequently organized the “Stakeholders Meeting on the Fisheries Innovation Options in Thailand, Costs and Benefits and Expected Social, Economic and Environmental Returns” on 4 October 2021 in Rayong Province, Thailand to verify the results from the survey. As a result, TD would come up with the final assessment report on the sustainability of fishing technologies and operations in Thailand and options for innovation and improvements for submission to the FAO.
Survey to Estimate Levels of Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear in Thailand Gillnet and Trap Fisheries
Under the Letter of Understanding between the FAO and SEAFDEC for the provision of
“Survey to estimate levels of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear in Thailand, gillnet and trap fisheries,” TD in collaboration with the DOF, Thailand conducted survey trials by using the FAO questionnaire to collect baseline information, e.g. spatial and temporal distribution of gear loss, causes, good practices to avoid fishing gear loss, end-of- life fishing gear management, and their perceptions on ALDFG from gillnets and traps (or pots); and developed a database to compile the data from the surveys in coastal provinces of Thailand as an example to estimate the levels of ALDFG. Due to the COVID-19 situation, however, only three surveys could be conducted in Krabi and Phang Nga Provinces, i.e.
during 17–26 May 2021, 21 June–2 July 2021, and 4–8 October 2021. There was a total of 160 accomplished questionnaires and the results of which were analyzed and would be submitted to the FAO in early 2022. It was expected that through these trial surveys, the FAO questionnaire could be verified and finalized in order to support the collection of global baseline information on ALDFG, and the information collected through such questionnaire could be used to support the development of management actions to combat marine debris from ALDFG in the future.