National Report on the Fish Stocks and Habitats of Regional, Global
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United Nations UNEP/GEF South China Sea Global Environment Environment Programme Project Facility NATIONAL REPORT on The Fish Stocks and Habitats of Regional, Global, and Transboundary Significance in the South China Sea THAILAND Mr. Pirochana Saikliang Focal Point for Fisheries Chumphon Marine Fisheries Research and Development Center 408 Moo 8, Paknum Sub-District, Muang District, Chumphon 86120, Thailand NATIONAL REPORT ON FISHERIES – THAILAND Table of Contents 1. MARINE FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................2 / 1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE FISHERIES SECTOR ...................................................................................2 1.1.1 Total catch by fishing area, port of landing or province (by species/species group).7 1.1.2 Fishing effort by gear (no. of fishing days, or no. of boats) .......................................7 1.1.2.1 Trawl ...........................................................................................................10 1.1.2.2 Purse seine/ring net....................................................................................10 1.1.2.3 Gill net.........................................................................................................12 1.1.2.4 Other gears.................................................................................................12 1.1.3 Economic value of catch..........................................................................................14 1.1.4 Importance of the fisheries sector in terms of employment & dependence ............14 1.1.4.1 Contribution of the fisheries sector to GDP ................................................14 1.1.4.2 Contribution of the fishing industry to income and employment.................18 1.1.4.3 Contribution of the fisheries sector to foreign exchange earning ...............18 1.1.4.4 Contribution of the fishery sector to domestic nutrition ..............................19 2. SPECIES OF REGIONAL, GLOBAL AND/OR TRANSBOUNDARY SIGNIFICANCE.............20 2.1 RANKING OF IMPORTANCE IN TERMS OF LANDINGS, VALUE, AND STATUS..................................22 2.1.1 Landings (by site or province) (mt) ..........................................................................22 2.1.2 Local market value (Local currency, note year).......................................................22 2.1.3 Status (endangered, threatened, rare etc. IUCN criteria)........................................22 2.1.4 Food security (locally)..............................................................................................26 2.2 BIOLOGY & ECOLOGY OF THE PRIORITY SPECIES (FROM AVAILABLE INFORMATION) ..................26 2.2.1 Large pelagic fish (FAO)..........................................................................................26 2.2.2 Small pelagic fish species........................................................................................35 2.2.3 Demersal fish species..............................................................................................39 2.2.4 Commercially exploited invertebrates......................................................................46 3. THREATS & CURRENT STATUS..............................................................................................51 3.1 STATUS OF FISHERY IN TERMS OF CPUES ............................................................................51 3.2 STATUS OF FISH STOCKS BASED ON HISTORICAL REVIEW OF LANDINGS AND CPUES................52 3.3 THREATS .............................................................................................................................54 3.3.1 Current (e.g. destructive fishing practices, overfishing) ..........................................54 3.3.2 Potential (project market demand, increased coastal population)...........................56 4. HABITATS & AREAS OF IMPORTANCE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF EXPLOITED FISH STOCKS ............................................................................................................................56 4.1 THE PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GULF OF THAILAND .....56 4.1.1 Known spawning grounds........................................................................................57 4.1.2 Known nursery areas...............................................................................................60 4.1.3 Known fishing grounds ............................................................................................60 4.1.4 Seawater quality and pollutants...............................................................................61 4.1.5 Biological parameters ..............................................................................................61 4.1.6 Bottom sediment......................................................................................................63 4.2 UNKNOWN ISSUES SUCH AS STOCKS WITH UNDEFINED SPAWNING GROUNDS ...........................64 4.3 THREATS, CURRENT AND POTENTIAL (COASTAL DEVELOPMENT, POLLUTION, OIL SPILLS) ..........64 4.3.1 Coastal development ...............................................................................................64 4.3.2 Oil spills....................................................................................................................64 4.3.3 Pollution ...................................................................................................................64 4.3.4 Plankton blooms ......................................................................................................65 4.4 RANKING OF HABITATS .........................................................................................................67 4.4.1 Association with species of importance to food security .........................................67 4.4.2 Association with high value species ........................................................................67 4.4.3 Association with endangered, rare, threatened species..........................................68 ii NATIONAL REPORT ON FISHERIES – THAILAND 5. CURRENT MANAGEMENT REGIME(S) ...................................................................................68 5.1 LEGAL INSTRUMENTS ...........................................................................................................68 5.2 INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS (RESEARCH, MONITORING, CONTROL & SURVEILLANCE)..........69 5.3 OVERVIEW OF PATTERNS OF RESOURCES OWNERSHIP AND TRADITIONAL UTILISATION .............70 5.4 HUMAN & INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY ......................................................................................71 5.5 REVIEW OF STAKEHOLDERS (E.G. FISHERS, NATIONAL AND/OR PROVINCIAL/LOCAL MANAGEMENT BODIES, NGOS) .............................................................................................72 6. PROBLEMS, CONSTRAINTS AND RECOMMENDED ACTIONS............................................78 6.1 PROBLEMS AND CONSTRAINTS .............................................................................................78 6.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................79 7. REFERENCES............................................................................................................................80 APPENDEX 1 Rates of Exchange of Commercial Bank in Bangkok Metropolis APPENDEX 2 Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Vulnerable, and Threatened Marine Species in Thailand APPENDEX 3 Fishes Found in Habitats of the Gulf of Thailand APPENDEX 4 The Organisational Structure of the Department of Fisheries (DOF) APPENDEX 5 The Organisational Structure of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) iii NATIONAL REPORT ON FISHERIES – THAILAND 1 Fish Stocks & Habitats of Regional, Global, and Transboundary Significance in the South China Sea Case Study: Gulf of Thailand INTRODUCTION The Gulf of Thailand (Figure 1) covers an area of approximately 350,000km2. The Gulf is a shallow arm of the South China Sea, adjoining it over a distance of 200 nautical miles. It is approximately 450 nautical miles long, 300 nautical miles wide, with a maximum depth, in the central portion, of slightly more than 80m. The central depression extends for 60 nautical miles near Cape Liant at the southeast corner of the Bangkok Bight. The northeast coast is slightly shallower and flatter than the southwest coast. The deeper central Gulf is separated from the South China Sea by 2 ridges. The first has a depth of less than 25m and extends southwest for more than 60 nautical miles from the Cape of Camau (Robinson 1974). The other has a deeper ridge, less than 50 m, which extends northeast of Kota Bharu for a distance of 90 nautical miles. Subsequent to the Naga Expedition, a further regional bathymetric survey was conducted by the DODO expedition of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In the narrow, deeper channel between the ridges, a still depth of 67 m was observed. These general features play an important role in regional oceanography. In general, the Gulf of Thailand is divided into 2 parts: 1. The Upper or Inner Gulf starts from latitude 12o30′N and extends up to the Chao Phraya Estuary, forming a U-shape. This 100x100km2 area, with an average water depth of 15m, can contain about 131km3 of water (calculated at the MSL). The northern part is shallow, gradually sloping to a depth of 25m near the opening between Sattahip, Chonburi province, and Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.