Fisheries Department Clarifies Pre-Test Net Not Yet Approved
The Thai Fisheries Department says a recent night‑time trial of a small‑mesh squid net is purely for research and does not yet permit commercial fishing. Officials emphasized that data collected will be studied to assess impacts on aquatic life and marine ecosystems before any policy decision. The trial, conducted by a multi‑stakeholder team in Rayong, will inform future regulations on the gear.
The Fisheries Department’s spokesman, Kritsanupathe Komentarrahin, said the pre‑test of nets with mesh smaller than 2.5 cm carried out at night is merely a study to collect information for academic consideration and is not permission to fish using that method. He noted that data gathered will be analysed comprehensively—covering aquatic resources, marine‑ecosystem effects and impacts on related sectors—before being submitted to the National Fisheries Policy Committee for further legal review. The test involved a committee of more than 25 people, including fisheries officials, commercial and small‑scale fisherfolk representatives, conservation groups and university academics, who observed actual fishing operations to determine suitable research guidelines. The nets used have mesh openings of at least 0.6 cm, the same size as those employed in existing squid‑lifting and scoop nets that are legally permitted for night‑time fishing, and are not the prohibited fine‑mesh nets formerly used for catching silverside or rice‑fish, which remain banned under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives regulation dated 1 February 2000. The fieldwork took place on 3‑4 October 2026 at the Marine Fisheries Research and Development Centre in Rayong Province, aiming to evaluate the net’s performance, catch composition—including juvenile organisms—and any environmental effects to inform appropriate management strategies. The department stressed that its decisions will be based on scientific evidence and stakeholder input, seeking a balance between resource utilisation and long‑term marine‑ecosystem health.
